


Broken

by psyco_chick32



Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Break Up, Cheating, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-10-27
Updated: 2012-03-20
Packaged: 2017-10-25 00:24:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 83,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/269578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psyco_chick32/pseuds/psyco_chick32
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the unthinkable happens, friendships and relationships within the Rangers team are left broken.  (Co-authored with Shawn30)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Timeline** : Divergence after Season 3. Kim never left, Zeo never happened. It's their Senior year of high school.
> 
>  **Notes** : Jason, Zack and Trini came back for their Senior year.
> 
>  **Genre** : Drama/Hurt/Comfort/Angst – take note, there are no magic answers in this story. It deals with a variety of issues, and people deal with them in a variety of ways. No one person is right or wrong all the time.
> 
>  **Ships** **(so** **far)** : Jason/Trini
> 
>  **A/N:** **psyco_chick32** \- "He'd never do a thing like that!" -Something said by 90% of everybody ever cheated on. Also, working with Shawn is… interesting.
> 
>  **A/N:** **Shawn30** \- There are two sides to every story no matter who gets hurt. Regaining lost love, trust, and honesty takes a long, hard time. And break-ups tend to affect more than just the two people involved. Also, lol, working with Kim has been "interesting"

**Jason Scott's House**

 **Sunday, September: Week 1**

 **4:45 pm**

"Jase, I cheated on Kim," Tommy blurted out frantically as he raced into the basement where Jason was working out. Visibly shaken didn't even begin to describe him. "I fucked up really, really bad. Kim _told_ me not to go to that damn party, but I didn't listen. We've been fighting and I wasn't- She- I just… I…" He trailed off, beyond words.

Shaking his head at the lunacy of what he just heard – which had to be a crazy joke – Jason replied, "Define cheated, bro?"

Tommy hung his head. "I fucked Jenny last night."

The blow came so fast, and with such force, that Tommy was knocked sideways off his feet and into the wall behind him before he finally crumbled to the floor. His first instinct was to rise and fight, his body strong and ready, but his heart was gone… crippled… utterly broken by what he'd done and the life-changing consequences guaranteed to follow. He deserved that punch and so much more.

Jason towered over Tommy, rage lifting off him like steam as he glared angrily at the man he called his very best friend. This had to be some kind of nightmare. "How in the _fuck_ could you do that to Kim, you selfish motherfucker! How could you betray her? I thought you loved her! You told me, before you asked her out, that you would _**never**_ hurt her. You promised me that!"

Unshed tears in his eyes, Tommy sat with his back to the wall, wincing as his hand covered his jaw, a bruise no doubt rapidly covering it. The taste of copper fluttered over his tongue. But what could he say? There were no excuses and no one to blame but himself. He had ruined his beautiful love with Kim. "This is all my fault. I was at the party, Jenny was flirting with me, and I- we had sex one time." He shook his head as if this were all a bad, horrible dream. "I'm disgusting-"

"You sure are!" Jason paced back and forth across the room, running his fingers through his short hair. He was nearly in tears over the knowledge of how badly this would hurt Kimberly. "How the hell could you be so weak?"

"I don't know," escaped softly from Tommy's lips, head bowed as he accepted the hate he was due. And he knew this was only the tip of the iceberg. "I don't know what came over me."

"Were you drunk?"

"No. I wasn't drinking."

Jason kicked a box on the floor clear across the entire expanse of the basement. "It'll just about kill her," he pointed angrily at Tommy, who did not even raise his head to meet the rage. "She loves you so much… _trusts_ you so much. With everything her dad did, and now- God, you… you sonofabitch! _You're better than this!_ "

Tommy had always thought that he was. He'd always expected better, and was certainly raised better, taught how to treat women by a father who treated his mother oh so well. His behavior was so far beneath him and he knew it. Kimberly was his heart and he had betrayed her so completely he couldn't stand himself. He wasn't lying to himself, either. Once he told her the truth, it would be over. Then he'd know true suffering… and it would be nothing compared to what she would go through. "I'm going to tell her in a few days. I just need to get my head on straight."

"You need to tell her tonight! You have to get this over with!"

"Bro…"

"Don't call me that!" Jason paced the floor, angrier than he'd ever been before. Tommy was his best friend. His Ace. They knew everything about each other, flaws and secrets and all. But this… this was just too much. "You need to tell her right now… or I will."

Finally rising to his feet, Tommy approached Jason, hands in his pockets. "I know I don't have the right to ask anything from you, but Kim deserves to hear this from me. It _should_ come from me," he pointed out. "I did the crime, Jase, and I have to face it like a man. But I can't do it tonight. I just can't. Probably tomorrow. Give me three days. But the truth needs to come from me or it'll be worse than it already is."

"I don't think you have a clue how bad things are going to be."

Backing away towards the staircase, Tommy sighed. "I know that I've lost her and broken her heart. I betrayed her trust and she's going to hate me. I deserve that. Everything else I lose pales in comparison." He was gone before Jason agreed to keep this secret for a couple of days.

Jason's fist slammed into the wooden table in front of the sofa before he buried his face in his hands. Beyond how it would break Kim's heart, this was going to explode and split the team. How will this affect the protection of the Earth as far as the team went? He had to think and consider what the best course of action was. Kimberly was about to be hit by a freight train and there was nothing he could do to save her. All he had to work with was the bigger picture, in the grand scheme of things.

* * *

 **Angel Grove High School**

 **Thursday, September: Week 1**

 **3:15 pm**

Kimberly hummed as she dug through her locker. Math book, check… notebook, check. Flower… She grinned a silly, love-struck grin and smelled the beautiful pink rose again. She had the greatest, hottest, most amazing man in the entire universe, and this week he was pulling out all the stops. At first it caught her a little off-guard, but she figured it was his way of apologizing.

They'd been fighting an awful lot lately. With graduation and college looming, it was hard to find time just for them. Rita and Zedd were stepping up their game and slamming them with monster after devious plot after monster. And Tommy was being more protective than ever, whether Kim was on the battlefield or the beam, after all the drama that had gone down surrounding Kat's brush with evil months before.

All of the angst had exploded into a major shouting match over the phone last Friday night. Kim had to go to a family wedding out of state, and Tommy had been invited to a party thrown by her own worst enemy. She'd asked – well, rather _ordered_ – Tommy not to go. It wasn't that she didn't trust him; she didn't trust Jenny, and she'd figured it would be a non-issue anyway, since Tommy wasn't usually into the party scene.

But her attitude had provoked his, and the verbal sparring had ended when she'd hung up on him, seething.

The trip to Nevada had helped cool her jets, on top of the long, supportive phone call with Aisha when she got to the hotel. She was so much better than Jenny, Aisha had reminded her. Acknowledging she'd been ridiculous, when she'd gotten home on Sunday evening, she'd immediately called to apologize.

In the following days, Tommy had treated her like a queen. Today was no different. A rose at her locker early that morning, hand-holding in the hallways and even sneaking kisses in-between classes. His fingers found hers almost every time they were together, and he clutched them like he was afraid she'd disappear.

If it wasn't so incredibly endearing, she'd be a bit suspicious.

Still humming, Kim checked her hair in the mirror hanging on the inside of her door – only to be met with the reflection of Jenny Sladek herself. Much taller than Kim's 5'2" frame and put together by an unfair God, the red-head boasted both boobs and an ass that wouldn't be out of place on a Playboy cover. She also had the reputation to go with it – and had her eyes set on Tommy from the moment she'd gotten to the school the year before.

"Hey, Kim," she said with a wiggle of her fingers, all but oozing a smugness that immediately had Kim's hackles up.

Kim lifted an eyebrow. "Uh, hey." Jenny had developed a serious grudge against Kim shortly after moving to Angel Grove, so they generally kept their distance. Jenny was well-known for trying to start rumors in an attempt to tarnish Kim's reputation. Kim was far too popular for it to work, but the girl would go the extra mile when Tommy was involved… and it was a balm to Kim's sometimes-insecure 17-year-old psyche that her handsome man never even showed a passing interest.

"So, your man was at my party on Saturday."

"I know," Kim responded easily. Great, another attempt to break up their relationship. _'_ _Not_ _gonna_ _work!_ _'_ Although she did wonder why the girl had been out of school for the past few days. She'd been expecting this confrontation on Monday. Still, her response was the same as it would have been then: "And he apologized."

Jenny's lips curved into a self-satisfied smirk. "Was he apologizing for going? Or was it for fucking my brains out that night?"

Kim's eyes shot open and she jerked back like she'd been smacked across the face. " _What_?" Tommy wouldn't do that. Tommy was _Tommy_. They'd talked about having their first time together, making love into the wee hours of the morning. Tommy wouldn't ever cheat on her. That was stupid. Shock passing, Kim let out an unladylike snort. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say."

Jenny's grin was a little too knowing for Kim's comfort. "Oh, he hasn't told you? We had such a great talk… the music was too loud, you know, and he followed me straight up to my room. One hot kiss led to another – that man can really use his tongue, can't he?"

Kim's eyes narrowed at the very thought. A voice in the back of her head told her to leave, not to listen to this bullshit. But it was like her feet were stapled to the ground. At a loss, she shut her locker and hefted her backpack over her shoulder. "You're delusional. Tommy wouldn't-"

"I've always wondered what his hair would look like spread out over my pillow. He was flat on his back and I rode him until he couldn't see straight."

"Look, you can flap your lips as much as you want. Tommy loves me and I love him, and you're just jealous." Her voice trembled just a touch; she wouldn't let Jenny see it, but given her family history, she'd always been wary of guys in previous relationships. That's why she loved Tommy so much… he was so patient with her, understanding she wasn't quite ready to have sex yet.

Jenny snickered. "Jealous? Why should I be jealous? I satisfied that hot hunk of man more than you've probably ever imagined doing." Her voice turned venomously cruel as she sealed the deal. "I wish we would have had longer… that birthmark on his thigh? I'd love to run my tongue around it until-"

 _SMACK!_

Kim lowered her hand, shocked that she'd go so far as to actually hit Jenny. But that birthmark- _'There's no way she could know unless he… maybe he told her. Maybe she overheard me tell Aisha… you know, in the privacy of my bedroom in the middle of the night. Maybe she- He could have-'_ Her thoughts tore through her brain a mile a second. Suddenly none-too-sure of herself, Kim spun and took off down the hallway. She and Tommy were supposed to meet in the park for some alone time… he'd be able to explain this.

Jenny leaned against the row of lockers happily.

She had finally won.

* * *

 **Angel Grove Park**

 **Thursday, September: Week 1**

 **3:45 pm**

Tommy looked up from his seat on the bench as Kim strode up, red-faced… and had she been crying?

He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. What if she had found out? Oh, God, Jenny had been at school that day… no, she wouldn't have said anything. He was on day four; had Jason said something? He'd been prodding Tommy all week to come clean-

He didn't have to wait very long.

Kim stomped up to Tommy, shaking. Her breath came in shallow pants and she didn't even give him time to say hello. "Is Jenny telling the truth?"

Tommy's eyes widened; he reeled back a little as though to get his bearings and her heart broke. He didn't have to say a word… it was written all over his face.

"Kim- Kim, wait, let me explain."

" _Explain_!" Kim shouted, throwing her backpack to the ground and her arms in the air. "Explain what? That you thought fucking the biggest slut in school wasn't a big deal, even though you had a girlfriend?" The past-tense verb cut him like a knife. "Explain why you've tried to be so sweet this week? Because I can already guess. Explain why you thought lying to me was any better? God dammit, Tommy, I trusted you with everything!"

He gulped as Kim struggled for breath after her outburst. Her cheeks were flushed and she was beginning to cry as she was torn between red-hot, seething rage and absolute heartbreak. He'd never felt so low; everything screamed in him to hold her, to make things better – something he knew he couldn't do. Not when he'd caused this.

Then Kim made it worse, with one hoarse whisper. "I was so wrong. I thought you were so amazing… I was wrong. You're just like my father."

Tommy felt like he'd been sucker-punched. That sort of comparison-

"Kim, I didn't mean-"

"Oh," she scoffed, trying to stand strong. "You didn't mean to do it. She slipped and fell on your dick. Is that it? You know, I preferred you evil to being a lying scumbag. At least then you just beat the shit out of me rather than stringing me along." It was clear she was losing control of her tears as she swiped angrily at her cheeks.

Tommy winced at the low blow. "Can you let me talk for just a minute? Look, I know what I did was stupid and-"

"Stupid? No, it's me that's the stupid one, for falling for your lies," the Pink Ranger snarled at him. "You selfish, arrogant asshole… you're such a disgrace to the Rangers." She began sobbing harder. "I thought you loved me – that you would never, ever hurt me. So why would you do this?" She clutched her chest. " _Why?_ "

He couldn't find it in himself to respond; everything he said seemed to make everything worse.

After a moment, Kim looked him in the eye. He felt physically and emotionally shattered, looking at what he'd done to her. "I hate you, Thomas Oliver. I hate you and I hope you rot in hell. I never, ever want to see you again."

With that, she finally lost it. She turned on the balls of her feet and ran out of the park.

* * *

 **Jason Scott's House**

 **Thursday, September: Week 1**

 **4:15 pm**

Trini shoved at her boyfriend's shoulder and Jason pulled himself away reluctantly, finally pushing himself up from the couch. "Fine, fine. I'll go get the popcorn; you get the movie ready." They'd rushed to his place from school; Jason didn't have a class to teach, and they hadn't had much time to themselves lately. A movie afternoon was just what they needed.

Trini grinned and straightened her rumpled clothing. As much as she loved the feeling of him pressed against her, they had to get their hormones under control. She wasn't ready to take that next step – and they'd definitely never get the chance if his parents walked in on them making out like… well, like the horny teenagers they were!

Her eyes trailed Jason's ass to the kitchen admiringly and heard the air popper start on. Just as she reached for the stack of tapes, the phone next to the couch rang.

"Can you get that?" she barely heard Jason call from the kitchen.

She swooped up the phone with a familiarity born of years in the Scott house. "Scott residence." The person on the other end broke out into a worried, rapid-fire explanation Trini could barely understand. "Wait... wait, 'Sha. Take a deep breath, slow down and… wait, do I hear Kim crying?"

Jason stepped out at that moment, clutching a large bowl. He trained his ears on Trini's side of the conversation, though he could hear Aisha's ranting from half-way across the room.

It seemed like Tommy's secret had come out at last.

Trini's next words confirmed it. "Hold on a moment… are you saying Tommy _cheated_ on Kim? Like, _cheated_ , cheated?" Then she gasped, and fury radiated off of her in a way that any other man would have cowered from. "She didn't-" Another furious tirade from the other end of the call interrupted her again. "Okay. Okay, I'll be right over." She hung up, staring at the phone for a moment as though she barely believed what had happened.

She straightened her shoulders then, setting the phone on the coffee table and gathering her wits. No doubt Aisha would still be raging. Kim was heartbroken. Katherine was on her way, but she wasn't as close as the others. _'I have to be the calm one.'_ It was not easy to be calm when all she wanted to do was wrap her hands around Tommy's throat.

"I have to go," Trini informed Jason quietly.

"I'll drive you. I'd like to check on her, too."

Trini spun, peering at her boyfriend curiously. His tone was far calmer than she'd expected. "Tommy _cheated_ on Kim. Shouldn't you be on your way over to kick Tommy's ass?" A strange expression flickered over his face.

And suddenly all the pieces clicked into place.

"You _knew_ ," she accused.

His lips thinned before he reluctantly nodded his head once. He wouldn't lie to her, as much as that option appealed.

"How _could_ you?" Trini all but exploded. "How long?"

"Since Sunday," he murmured. Guilt began to boil in his veins as she stared at him as though he were a stranger.

"You've known for almost three full days?" She was incredulous. "And you never once thought to tell Kim, or even _me_ that Tommy slept with a person who absolutely despises her?"

"Tommy asked… he said he'd tell her yesterday but-"

"No, _Jenny_ told her today!" Trini interrupted.

Jason flinched and his eyes widened. Somehow, he'd never thought- "I thought Tommy would tell her," he said weakly.

"And it never crossed your mind that to Jenny – who has _always_ enjoyed making Kim feel bad – this would be Christmas and her birthday and every other holiday rolled into one?" She shot him a withering glare.

He tried to deflect her anger. "Shouldn't we go see Kim?"

" _I_ am," she replied coldly. " _You_ , however, are not. I'm so disappointed in you right now; I don't even have the words."

Jason floundered for something to say, but came up empty. There was no excuse except his strong loyalty and brotherhood with Tommy. And Trini certainly wasn't going to accept that… not when Kim was hurting so badly.

She pushed past him – no hug, no kiss. Just anger and disappointment, so thick Jason thought he'd choke on it.

 _'Dammit.'_

* * *

 **Angel Grove High School**

 **Friday, September: Week 1**

 **8:15 am**

It was clear from the moment Tommy started down the hallway that everybody had heard. His friends gathered around the lockers, most of them looking solemn. Aisha and Trini wore thunderous looks; Trini standing as far away from Jason as physically possible while still being a part of the group. Her partner in yellow was speaking rapidly at Adam, who was wide-eyed. Though Tommy couldn't hear what was being said, he saw the Black Ranger turn to Kat, who nodded seriously.

Kim was nowhere in sight. Not that surprising, but he still worried.

 _'This is going to suck.'_ It was nothing more than he deserved, but that didn't mean he didn't wish it didn't have to happen. The walk toward his locker seemed to take forever and yet not long enough; Rocky noticed his arrival first and offered him a nod.

"-gotta be done, whether you like it or not," he heard Aisha say as he got closer. He could only imagine that the variety of reactions didn't bode well for him.

Tommy cleared his throat as he reached them, getting their attention.

Aisha spun, stride imperiously across the short distance to him, hand out. "Make this easy on everybody and give it up. Hand it over."

He blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Step. Down." Her tone dripping with bitch-slapping challenge, Aisha clarified, "Hand over your Power Coin. There are at least three people here we can _trust_ to lead us."

Tommy's face darkened and his brows furrowed. "Excuse me?" he demanded. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Jason realized they were drawing too much attention from passing students and tugged Tommy over to the group, motioning Aisha to follow.

"I think I'm one of the members of what used to be your team," she hissed as she followed. "And I think it's perfectly valid to want somebody who _isn't_ a complete selfish dumbass leading us."

"'Sha, that's stupid!" Rocky spoke up first, leaping to his leader's defense. "Yeah, sure. He fucked up. He cheated on Kim… but he didn't cheat on the team."

Tommy glared at Rocky; as much as he appreciated the support, he really didn't need to hear how wrong he was. He knew it, they knew it… hell, by now, the entire school probably knew. Sadly, he was aware this was only the beginning.

"Besides," Rocky continued, ignoring Aisha's angrily tapping foot, "he was practically the Boyfriend of the Year for three freakin' years. One time shouldn't change shit like that, and it shouldn't affect his position as a leader. Kim broke up with him. Isn't that enough punishment?"

Aisha stared askance at him. "Um, _no_? Kim broke up with him _because he cheated._ Because he broke her heart. Don't you think _she's_ being punished enough without having to take orders from him?"

Zack couldn't stay quiet anymore. "Wait, what is Kim being punished for?"

"That's what she'd like to know," Trini stepped in, moving her glare from her boyfriend – who'd remained silent so far in the face of her wrath – and over to Tommy. "She seems to believe this is all her fault and spent hours wondering how she could have driven him to do this."

"That's stupid," he rebutted. "Tommy just screwed up. She had nothing to do with it."

"She had everything to do with it, given that he was in a relationship with her in the time!" Aisha insisted. "And anyway, this isn't about punishment. It's about being able to trust the person leading us."

Jason finally broke his silence. "Tommy's never let the team down before."

"You don't call this letting us down?" Trini questioned him with a glare. "Because personally, I'm pretty disappointed."

"And there's a first time for everything, apparently," Aisha said, always having her girls' backs. "He's never cheated on Kim before, either." She saw Tommy flinch at the well-aimed barb.

"Yeah, but-"

"Could we stop talking like I'm not standing right here?" Tommy interrupted Rocky angrily. "Look," he said with a patience he didn't feel, "I'm not handing over my coin. There's just no way in hell. And I don't know why you'd even think I would."

"Probably because Kim's thinking about giving me hers," Kat finally spoke up.

The guys stared at the blonde in surprise. "Why?" Jason finally asked.

"Well, she's not… I mean, her thoughts right now aren't…" Kat trailed off with a sigh. "I didn't take it – I don't want to be in the middle of this. But like Aisha said, it's a matter of trust. There's always been a bit of a power imbalance in your relationship," she told Tommy with a slightly sympathetic look. "Now she's worried you don't have her best interests in mind."

"He has the _world_ in mind," Jason stressed. "You know, that whole _world-saving thing_ we do? That she's been doing for longer than he has? She's well-aware of how we operate and that shouldn't change… Rangering and our personal lives are different."

"Yeah, we work as a _team_ ," Aisha said. "You know, because we're friends and we look out for each other. We're not robots, Jase, and you can't expect us to just ignore what he's done because he's the high and mighty Tommy Oliver."

"Nobody is going to ignore what I did!" Tommy insisted. "I fucked up, okay? I know that. We all know that. But that's as a boyfriend, not as a leader."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Aisha rebutted, her tone oozing sarcasm. "Here I thought being a leader meant holding up our morals and stuff. Little did I know you're above that. Wish that would've been in the handbook."

Tommy pinched the bridge of his nose, digging deep for calm when he just wanted to shout and rant and punch things.

 _'I deserve this,'_ he reminded himself. It was harder to believe it each time he thought it, though.

"Okay, so _I_ think Tommy's untrustworthy as hell," Aisha said. "Apparently, Rocky seems to think Tommy couldn't possibly be wrong." She plowed on, ignoring Rocky's indignant sputtering. Her unspoken feelings for him were far from important when her best friend's sanity was on the line. She turned to one of the group who had remained quiet. "Billy, what do you think?"

Billy flushed as everybody looked his way. "I do not believe I am well-informed enough to play a role in making this decision. Furthermore, while the team operates as a group, it has never been a democracy – as witnessed by the inclusion of you, Rocky and Adam onto the team without our input, though that obviously turned to our benefit. Also, I cannot speak for Kim, nor imagine what it would be like to be in her shoes and guess what she would wish. I think this is better left up to Tommy, Kimberly and more than likely, Zordon."

At the few blank faces, Trini sighed. "He doesn't think he should have a say; he doesn't think this is something that should be voted on."

Zack shrugged. "I'm not active right now, but Rocky's got a good point; he screwed up with Kim but not as a Ranger. Sure, he fucked up, but Tommy didn't let the team down. Besides, he's the leader. He can't just hand over his position to anybody."

"Adam?" Aisha stared at the member who'd been silent throughout the argument. So far it'd been guys versus girls… she sincerely hoped their more thoughtful guy friend would see Kim's side of things.

The Black Ranger shifted uncomfortably, as though aware what he was going to say was going to cause some drama. Aisha's glare dared him to try and get out an answer. "Look… Billy has a point in that this sort of thing isn't something we really vote on. I mean, Kim thought about handing over her position to Kat without asking any of us. But," he stressed, "if either one of them did leave… I think it should be Tommy."

"Excuse me? What the hell?" Tommy demanded angrily. The other guys were looking at Adam in various degrees of surprise… and in some cases, not a small amount of condemnation.

To his credit, the Black Ranger refused to back down. "Kim's been a Ranger longer," Adam pointed out, meeting Tommy's eyes defiantly. "She's one of the originals. She's not the one who screwed up. She didn't do anything wrong and yet _she's_ the one thinking about leaving the team. That's not right, especially after she gave up the opportunity with the big-name coach, partly to stay on. I'm not saying it's right for either of you guys to leave. But if somebody has to… well, Jason has leadership experience, and is a great fighter. If Jason took your coin, there wouldn't be that much of a difference."

The silence at Adam's speech was unnerving to him, and he shifted a bit closer to Aisha. She put her arm around him consolingly; it couldn't have been easy for one of their shyest friends to say all that, especially when the majority seemed to have Tommy's back.

"I'm not taking Tommy's powers," Jason finally said. "That's final. I'm not going to do it. He screwed up. We all know that. But a relationship is a totally different thing than the fate of the world. Tommy went all the way to Zedd's Dark Dimension to save Kim once; doesn't that prove he's concerned about her?"

"Yeah, _then_. You know, before he started thinking with his dick." Aisha snorted. "I thought of all people, _you_ would be most upset by what he did. Kim's supposed to be a sister to you, and here you are excusing him all over the place for what he did."

"I'm not excusing him!" When Aisha looked like she'd interrupt again, he glowered. "And I'm not saying Tommy's innocent. I'm saying these are two unrelated issues. This conversation is over." Jason's eyes darted to Trini, and his stomach sank at the look on her face.

"Bullshit," Aisha scoffed. "Zedd's going to take advantage of this… and we'll only have Tommy to blame. Of course, you'll probably find some way to blame Kim, instead. Because you guys seem to take a lot of pleasure in kicking her while she's down."

Tommy opened his mouth to argue but was cut off by the bell.

Aisha gave one more withering look to the people who'd stuck up for Tommy before grabbing Adam by the elbow. He shot Tommy an apologetic glance that Tommy either didn't see or ignored… then almost fell over as the Yellow Ranger proceeded to drag him to their first class.

 _'God dammit,'_ Tommy seethed, watching two mutinous members of his team leave. He was jostled as Trini strode past him, not even apologizing when his books tumbled to the ground. He watched her walk past Jason without giving her boyfriend a second glance, despite the fact that they walked to class together every day before that. _'Fuck.'_

He was so fucking screwed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lines are drawn in the sand as the Ranger team faces its first tests in the wake of Tommy's betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeline: Divergence after Season 3. Kim never left, Zeo never happened. It's their Senior year of high school.
> 
> Notes: Jason, Zack and Trini came back for their Senior year.
> 
> Genre: Drama/Hurt/Comfort/Angst – take note, there are no magic answers in this story. It deals with a variety of issues, and people deal with them in a variety of ways.
> 
> Ships (so far): Jason/Trini
> 
> A/N: psyco_chick32 – It's amazing what emotions can drive a person to do.
> 
> A/N: Shawn30 - Sometimes "I'm sorry" just isn't enough.

**Aisha Campbell's House  
Friday, September: Week 1  
3:45 pm**

Jason squared his shoulders as he rapped on the front door of the Campbell house, Zack and Billy behind him on the front porch.

Rocky had volunteered to take over Tommy's karate class that afternoon. Tommy had made tracks straight home, head bowed as it appeared the consequences of his actions were going to linger for a long time to come. The girls had rushed to Aisha's car so quickly it made his head spin; Adam's jeep was right behind Aisha's yellow Nissan in the driveway.

Clearly, _somebody_ was in the house.

"Maybe they'd rather be alone," Billy offered softly. All day, the girls had been conspiring – no doubt trying to figure out how to handle this drama. Rumors were already flying around school; Billy knew if even he had heard them, the student body must be buzzing with gossip regarding AGHS's Golden Couple's scandalous break-up. His heart ached as he realized Kim would eventually have to walk into the hornet's nest.

"There's no way I'm leaving without at least giving Kimmy a big hug," Zack declared, leaning past Jason to pound on the door harder than before.

After a moment, the door opened. Aisha stared at them darkly, throwing the door open wide to show Trini standing behind her. The Yellow Ranger's arms crossed angrily as she eyed the original male Rangers angrily. "Really? Really. You have a whole lot of nerve to come here after everything you guys said today."

Jason took a deep breath, closing his eyes for patience. It was clear Aisha was beyond pissed and feeling protective, and that would just make it harder to make sure the girl who was a sister in all but blood to him was coping. "'Sha, we're not here to fight. We just want to see Kim."

She snorted. "Uh huh. Yeah. _Now_ you care, right? Now that the truth's out?" Her bark of laughter was anything but amused. "Like you give a damn. Get out of here. Go check on your precious leader."

Zack's draw dropped. "What the hell-?"

"Did I stutter? I can put it into tinier words if you want. Go. Away."

Jason stepped forward, invading Aisha's personal space and putting his hand up, so she couldn't close the door. "Hold on just one moment. Who do you think you are? I've been Kim's friend since Kindergarten. I love her and I want to make sure she's alright – I'm not leaving until then."

"She's not okay, Jase," Trini said softly, looking none the less angry despite her calmer tone. "She's crying her eyes out and hasn't stopped. She only slept last night because I went to the Command Center and got a tranq for her. She's heartbroken… and not just over Tommy." Her gaze bored into his accusingly.

"Give me one good reason why we shouldn't go up," Zack challenged.

"Because you're part of the problem," Aisha spat. "You and your 'bros before hoes' bullshit. Your 'Oh, it's not like it's that bad' type of attitude. You think she really needs to hear that shit right now?"

Zack was getting pissed. "That's not-"

Jason pushed his bangs off his head. "We never said-"

"I understand your reluctance in letting us see Kimberly in the state she's in," Billy interrupted the two of them. "But if you will not allow us entrance, would you at least inform us how she is doing physically?"

Trini buried her face in her hands, taking a deep breath. "She's… honestly? She just found out 24 hours ago that her ex-boyfriend is a lying, cheating, manipulative asshole who spent three days fawning over her, either hoping she would never find out he cheated or thinking that maybe if he was sweet to her, she'd just… I don't know, ignore it?" She looked up accusingly at the guys. "How do you think she is? On top of everything, she feels like Jason stabbed her in the back, and let her be humiliated."

Jason opened his mouth to argue the point and Trini shook her head to cut him off. "There's no salvaging that, Jase. You should have told her the moment you found out, or dragged him here to confess."

"Basically, what my girl here is saying is, 'No, you cannot go upstairs and try to convince Kim of your innocence or of how Tommy needs to be forgiven,'" Aisha interjected. "What the hell do you expect to say? 'Oh, Tommy's a great guy, really! He just made a mistake!'" she snidely pantomimed begging, opening her eyes wide in a gesture of innocence.

"We just want to see her," Jason said with a calm he didn't feel. "We don't want to tell her anything except that we love her and we're here for her, for anything she needs."

"You don't get it, do you?" She stepped forward, poking a finger into his chest. "Let me clue you in. You already failed at that, jackass. You were supposed to be there for her _four days ago_. You were her brother, Jason. You were supposed to care about _her_ first. Not him. You were supposed to have her back. Instead, you kept his secret and today, you _defended_ him."

"I never said he was right-"

"Billy, why don't you go on upstairs," Aisha said. "It's not like you stuck up for the asshole, and Adam has no idea what to do with a hysterical woman. Plus, Kat's new. It would be good for her to be with somebody she's known for a while."

Billy looked over at his friends worriedly. He wanted nothing more than to go see Kim, to give her a hug and another shoulder to cry on, but…

Jason motioned with his head to go in, wearing a sour look. "Go on. We'll see Kim when she gets back to school."

"Not likely," Aisha snorted before shutting the door in their faces, pushing all her weight against Jason's hand. The clink of the lock signaled the conversation was over; they weren't interested in Jason's and Zack's arguments.

"God dammit!" Zack shouted, slamming his fist into his palm angrily. "What the hell was that?"

Jason spun on his heel, heading back toward his car. He wondered the same thing.

* * *

As the afternoon gently faded into late evening, Jason watched Rocky wave goodbye to Ernie before sprinting over to his car and climbing in the backseat behind Zack. He wished he had good news to report, but that was in short supply lately.

"How did it go?" Rocky asked as he strapped in his seat-belt. The frustrated glance he saw the two guys in the front seat exchange lowered his expectations immediately. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse," Jason replied. "Aisha wouldn't even let us in the house. She all but branded us traitors and slammed the door in our faces."

Zack could only shake his head as Jason pulled out of the Youth Center parking lot. "They think that just because we support Tommy remaining the leader, we that we approve of what he did and don't care about Kim at all." His fist slammed on the dashboard in frustration. "Sorry, bro."

"No need. I already did that earlier today. Twice." Jason drove on, heading for Tommy's house. They had to find some sort of understanding about what to do next. For the moment, he really didn't have a clue. "'Sha let Billy see Kim, and Adam was already there. At least she has a lot of people around her. I just wish we could be too."

Rocky sighed, though he wasn't entirely surprised. Today at school he and Adam hadn't said a word to each other. Had that happened in over ten years? "This is such a colossal mess."

"Amen," Zack agreed.

Nothing else was said on the ten minute ride to Tommy's house. Right after school he bolted for the exit without so much as a goodbye, though they knew he was available if Zedd attacked. The White just hadn't been in the right frame of mind to deal with his young students.

Jason parked in front of Tommy's house and killed the engine. He saw Tommy in the backyard meditating alone. He always did when there was a ton on his mind, and today had to feel like a thousand tons. But this was all his fault.

The guys exited the car and walked alongside the house, through the open gate into the backyard. Tommy's eyes opened, watching them approach. His best friends were angrier than they had ever been at him before. How had things come to this? He just didn't know. "How is she?"

"Broken," Jason surmised sadly, his arms crossed as Tommy stood to his feet, head bowed. "At least, that's what I'm pretty sure she's feeling. I wouldn't know, because I wasn't allowed to see her. None of us were." He paused, staring into his leader's eyes. "Apparently, we're with the enemy."

Tommy winced and then nodded. These guys have fought with him, bled with him, and dealt death with him. Their loyalty was now coming with a huge price… one he knew he could never repay. "Guys, I am so, so sorry for cheating on Kim and splintering the team like this. I'm so embarrassed and humiliated. I have no excuse for my actions. I completely regret what I did and I'll do anything you want me to do to try and make up for this."

"Can you undo what you did?" Jason snarled sarcastically. "Can you have _not_ cheated, you bastard!"

Never had his best friend glared at him with such fury. In a low, apologetic tone Tommy offered, "If I could, I would. Cheating on Kim is the worst thing I have ever done in my entire life. I can't stand that I hurt her."

"Then why did you do it?" Zack questioned, getting in his face, so angry he could knock his lights out. He stabbed a finger into Tommy's chest. "You told me how much you liked Kim and how nervous you were around girls." He poked Tommy's chest again. "You told me how special you thought she was and how much you wanted to impress her and be sweet to her." He continued pointing. "You asked me for advice on girls and promised you wouldn't hurt her. So now I carry the guilt of helping hook you two up, and now my sister is broken-hearted and won't even talk to me because she thinks I'm fine with what you did. But I'm _not_ fine with it!"

Zack took a deep breath, not wanting to be disrespectful to the Olivers who were inside the house. Tommy couldn't say a word, wouldn't defend himself. "You selfish motherfucker! And of all people, you fucked _Jenny_ , who more guys have passed around than a football. Can you imagine how Kim felt to learn about your affair from her?"

"I hope Kimberly never takes you back," Rocky added as he stood in Tommy's next. "No girl deserves to be cheated on, especially Kim. I can only imagine how hurt she is, and for what? Nothing… you don't even want to be with Jenny. You don't love her. There's nothing behind what you did except lust. And you're a better guy than this… at least, I thought you were."

"So did I," Tommy added, barely loud enough to hear. Shoulders slumped, his hand slowly crawled over his face; it felt like his soul was crushed and there were no answer to fix this. "Guys, believe it or not, none of you can hate me as much as I hate myself. I just… God, I don't know what came over me." A tear trailed down his face, and he quickly swiped it away. The heartache Kim was enduring was his fault and he hated himself for ever causing her pain. He loved her still. Always. But his actions said otherwise. All that he could do now was start with this moment and do better. "What do you guys think I should do next?"

"Stay the hell away from Kim," Jason warned, even as a small part of him hurt for his best friend. Tommy looked like hell… but deserved worse. "Don't call her, try talk to her or go see her unless she asks you to."

Tommy nodded. "Alright, done. Anything else?"

"I don't know what you expect from us," Zack said, "but I'll tell you this. I support you remaining our team leader and a Ranger. I do that because we need you and no matter how angry I am at you, I just don't think your personal life should take that away from you. We have years of being brothers, and that's gotta stand for something. But those times we normally hang out, or work out together, or have movie nights or play video games? Forget about it. I don't even want to look at you right now. I don't know who you are, and you need to figure that out. You need to decide the type of person you're going to be in the future. I'll defend you this one time for remaining our leader, but never again."

Rocky chimed in, "We all still believe in you, bro. We've been friends for years now. But what you did… we never, ever expected that. It's gonna take a long time for us to trust you again. I hope you're ready for that."

"I know," Tommy conceded. "I promise you, I'll never do anything like this again. I'll never put you guys in the position you're in now. I can't say enough what it means to me to have your support to remain on the team. It means the world to me. Someday, I'll make this up to Kim and all of you… no matter what. I swear it."

"You better," Jason sighed as he began walking back to his car. "We expected more of you. We know you're a better person than this. But we're all so disappointed in you."

Tommy watched them leave. A bad day made so much worse by the fallout at school and at home was about to become another sleepless night. His Beautiful was suffering because of his selfish immaturity. She deserved so much better; the only person that deserved pain was him.

Walking back to the small blanket on the grass, Tommy resumed his meditative pose. He sought peace of mind and calm amidst the storm that was his life. It was all that he could do tonight.

* * *

 **Angel Grove Youth Center  
Saturday, September: Week 1  
6:00 pm**

Adam had faced dangerous solo-Ranger missions with less dread and nervousness than this.

He watched Tommy mindlessly bench-pressing 240 pounds; repetition after grueling repetition as if he was in a hypnotic trance, pushing himself hard so that he wouldn't have to think about anything. The Ranger powers augmented his already considerably strength even unmorphed, and when Tommy was stressed he would work out until he exhausted himself – Adam had seen it before. The Black Ranger knew this was probably the most stressful time in his entire life.

But he brought it all on himself.

It was harder than he expected to muster up much pity when the sounds of Kimberly's uncontrollable sobbing still rang powerfully in his subconscious. She was suffering ten shades of Hell, all due to Tommy's selfishness. She had said she wondered if there was one thing in her world she could trust anymore if Tommy could betray her like this. The day before, when the gang gathered to discuss _possible_ ways to keep the team together he stepped in and took Kimberly's side. He felt so bad that she was the one considering leaving the team; the prospect of serving under Tommy's leadership after he betrayed her only made matters worse. So he simply suggested that _if_ anyone had to pay the consequences of Tommy's betrayal it should be, well, Tommy.

Common sense, right?

Not where Man Law was concerned.

And Adam knew he broke Man Law in front of every guy friend he had.

From the very moment he _suggested_ that Tommy could step down as leader and Jason could take over – only _suggested_ that maybe Tommy should be the one to give up his Power Coin before Kim gave up hers – he felt a wave of dark coldness come from his leader, Jason, Zack, and even Rocky that he had never felt before. Guys tended to bond as brothers when they truly cared for one another, and you always had your bro's back in public. Not in ugly cases like rape or murder or something off-the-charts evil. But in the case of infidelity… well, you could denounce your friend. You could disagree with his actions and be angry with him and express how he had lost a great deal of your respect.

But you did not _ever_ side against him. And the suggestion that maybe, just maybe Tommy should step down as leader and the team wouldn't suffer was a direct violation of Man Law. Walking away with Aisha – the instigator of the argument – only singled him out more.

He heard from Rocky that Jason had punched Tommy when he found out, that Zack almost came to blows as well, and that Rocky himself told Tommy he hoped Kim would never take him back. But they also noted how he was suffering, blamed no one but himself, and deeply regretted his actions.

For Adam though, it still wasn't enough. He wasn't there to apologize or take back his point of view. But he did hope to salvage something, or at least clear the air.

Two guys finished their evening workouts and left the weight-lifting area. Tommy was all alone, lifting without a spotter. That was dumb, but Tommy was angry at the world and himself the most, so he didn't care. Nonetheless, Adam walked over to him. "I have something I want to say to you."

Tommy clearly recognized the voice, but gave no reply save a brief pause.

"Right," Adam sighed, but went on anyway. "When I first met you and the team I wasn't sure if I'd fit in or not. I've been friends with Aisha and Rocky forever, but you guys were already a team and I've never made new friends easily. I'm kind of the quiet type, but all of you made me feel so welcome. I felt part of something so big, and becoming a Ranger was the high-point of my life."

Adam watched Tommy pretend ignore him, but he knew him well enough to know he was listening. So he continued, "I've seen you covered in blood after saving so many lives I've lost count. I trusted you as my leader and my friend. But we're also equals and I have the right to my opinion as much as you have the right to yours." He threw caution to the wind. "What you did to Kimberly was horrible and you deserve to bear the brunt of that, not her."

Tommy let the bar clang loudly as he dropped it on the stand, still lying on his back, just staring away at nothing. Then he began lifting once more.

"It's not just that you cheated on her, Tommy. You did it with a girl who hates her. One who has insulted and put Kim down for more than a year. She trusted that you of all people would never hurt her. She feels humiliated. She wanted her first time to be special and with you, and now she's heartbroken. So yes, in the face of my very good friend suffering I do feel that if anyone left the team it should be you. But I don't want _anyone_ to leave. I want this to have never happened, but… look; I'm not going to apologize for having my opinion. But obviously I broke Man-Law and now you and the guys are acting like I don't exist. Just because I stood up for my good friend, you act as if I've never been your friend or teammate or anything at all. And to me, that's wrong."

Tommy dropped the bar one last time and grabbed a white towel from the floor. He wiped the sweat down his face and neck, still not uttering a single word… clearly fuming, though, like a bomb ready to explode at any minute.

"I don't want to not be your friend. I don't hate you, but I do hate what you did and I hate how you are treating me. If I'm wrong, correct me. Tell me your side of things and let's talk this out. We might not agree, but maybe we'd understand each other better." Adam stood his ground when Tommy marched up to him, fire and brimstone burning in his eyes.

"Are you fucking finished?"

Swallowing hard, Adam gave a nod. This wasn't going to go well and he knew that going in. But he had to try.

Tommy's jaw clenched tightly as he tried to speak. His chest heaved and he wanted to destroy something… anything to make the pain go away. "Thank you for the walk down memory lane. It was quite touching. I may shed a tear," he began venomously. "But let's be clear about a few things. One, I am well aware that what I did was wrong, and that I have broken Kimberly's heart and probably lost her forever. I live with that every second of every fucking day and it is killing me. If I could go back in time and undo it, I would in a heartbeat. Two, Jason and Zack feel I betrayed them by hurting Kim when I swore to them I never would. Three, Rocky said to my face he hopes Kim doesn't take me back to teach me a lesson. Then there's the wonderful fact that every female friend I have wouldn't spit on me if I were on fire. I'm sure Kim's mom hates my guts, and her dad would probably run me over with his car despite him not being around for her all that much. My own parents are disappointed in me and half my team wishes I would just give up my coin and walk away."

Tommy began nodding angrily as he circled Adam. "Of course, I still have school to deal with, and trying to keep the world safe. So when you remind me that I should bear the consequences of my actions then _who the hell do you think is doing that if not me_?" he shouted as people around them looked on, before turning away. "I have lost Kimberly. Don't you think I know that? I am sick to my stomach over what I did, but you know what? Even though Zack, Jason, and Rocky are angry as hell at me they didn't throw me under the bus the way you did."

Adam's eyes widened as he faced Tommy's wrath.

"Not one of them patted me on the back, or told me that they hope Kim will one day forgive me. They don't even like me all that much right now. But when you call a guy your bro, it stands for brotherhood. It's what guys do, and we have fought, bled, and faced death together. So how the hell you could question my leadership or my right to be a Ranger is beyond me. Hate what I did and hate me, but respect what I do and have done as the leader of this team. I do not place _anything_ above protecting the Earth and you know that. Billy abstained, but at least cared enough to call me last night and ask how I was doing. He didn't let one ugly moment tarnish years of friendship. He respected me enough to let Zordon make the call about leadership. I expected you to have my back at the _very_ least when it came to being on the team, Adam. Maybe you hate my guts, and you can't hate me more than I hate myself. But you could have still stood by your brother. You didn't."

"I was busy watching Kimberly cry so hard she got sick," Adam fired back. "She's fought and bled and faced death by you, too. But you betrayed her. And you're so angry at every living thing right now that you won't even allow yourself to see I never wanted you off the team, and only made suggestions based on my opinion."

"My brother should have had my back!"

"Kim's boyfriend shouldn't have boned another girl behind hers!"

Tommy Oliver was a man of discipline and restraint, a teacher of the Martial Arts who upheld its principles for himself and his young students. But he came so close to losing that internal struggle over self-control. His hands closed into tight fists as his body prepared to strike, to lash out and pound this piece of shit into… suddenly, all the air fled out his lungs. He took a step back, feeling staggered. Had he fallen so far from the man he was that he almost took a swing at Adam? There was no one to blame for all of this but Tommy Oliver and he knew that. Raging at Adam wouldn't fix anything. "You should have at least stood for my right to remain leader."

"I'm not a lemming. I have my own opinion."

"And now you have to live with the consequences of _your_ actions," Tommy noted while wearing a scowl. "I'm not perfect. Never have been, never will be. But I stand by my brothers always, even if they make a mistake… because when a person is down, that's when they need help the most. It's not that I don't expect you to be there for Kim if she wants you there. But you should have had my back as it pertains to the team. Jason punched me in the jaw harder than I've ever been hit in my life, but behind closed doors. Zack almost hit me. Rocky all but called me a piece of garbage, but not in front of the team. As team leader, I deserved your support. And if a guy at his worst human moment can't rely on his brothers to have his back, then what do you do?"

Tommy stood face-to-face with Adam and said, "You move on. You're my teammate and a guy I go to school with. Nothing more. Hate me all you want. I'm just about used to it. As for the rest of the guys, when you give your 'I'm a Ranger with my own opinion' speech… well, I hope you have more luck next time."

Adam felt his heart racing sadly, and his eyes water as he didn't know what to say. Sensitive and strong, Tommy's response cut him deeply. "What speech will you give Kim about love and trust?"

Tommy had no answer, simply choosing to turn and walk away.

Unfortunately, he turned right into Aisha. Her gaze shot past the White Ranger to Adam, who was clearly upset and doing his best to hide it. She turned her attention – better described as fury – back at Tommy. "I guess you can't do anything these days but hurt people."

"Just like you can't do anything but bitch people out."

"Only those who deserve it." When Tommy rolled his eyes and tried to side-step her, she got in his way. "I can't believe I used to like you so much. And the way Kimberly would go on and on about how sweet you were. And how much she loved you and how lucky she was to have such a handsome, patient, and considerate boyfriend."

Goldar had never hit him as hard as Aisha's words just did. There was nowhere to run from this pain. Nothing to strike. Tommy simply seethed. "Are you finished?"

"Stay away from Kim or you'll answer to me."

"I don't answer to anyone."

"You don't want to go there," she warned angrily. "You've hurt her enough. If you cross the line, you _will_ answer to me."

Crossing his arms, Tommy glared down at her, and then sighed. "I could care less about your threats… but I'll stay away because she wants that, not because you said so. But understand this: I _am_ the team leader. Period. End of story. I'm not stepping down. Deal with it or leave. Conversation over."

Who was this man and where was the guy she once thought of so highly of? She now hated the sight of him. " _Friendship_ over." Walking past Tommy, she looped an arm around Adam and walked away.

Tommy felt like shit. Again. The things he said to Aisha… the way he said them… almost hitting Adam… he didn't know who he was anymore or which way was up.

Where in the world did he go from here?

* * *

 **Angel Grove High School  
Monday, September: Week 2  
8:15 am**

Kimberly stood outside the double doors closest to her locker. It had been harder than she'd expected to talk herself out of bed… the pain of Tommy's betrayal was fresh, but she'd been so lucky to have great friends in Aisha, Trini, Adam and Kat. Even Billy had stopped by.

It was her other friends that had her still standing outside. Trini had told her about how Jason kept Tommy's secret. Aisha couldn't stop ranting about how the guys had leaped to Tommy's defense. And Adam was just disappointed that his friends had all but shut him out.

Her locker was right across the hall from her ex-boyfriend's, and it was common for everybody to gather there. In a fit of cowardice, she really, _really_ did not want to face them. It would be bad enough tackling her embarrassment in front of the rest of the school; knowing her guy friends were so willing to back Tommy up was like a fist to her gut.

 _'I can do this,'_ she reassured herself for what felt like the millionth time. _'Just focus on school, ignore the guys, and go home.'_ Squaring her shoulders, she pushed the doors open and hiked her bag higher on her shoulder.

Her girlfriends were already waiting at her locker like an impenetrable army; she was uncomfortably aware of the guys on the other side of the hallway, watching her. Any other day, Tommy would have met her at her locker. He'd smile and kiss her cheek and ask how her weekend was, as if he hadn't spent most of it with her. He'd offer to hold her bag and stand next to her absolutely radiating contentment, as though just being near her made him happy.

Oh, how things could change in a weekend.

As she began digging for her books, mentally reminding herself that she could not, _would not_ give him or Jenny the pleasure of seeing her cry at school, she heard footsteps.

"Morning, Kim." Jason – she should have expected this; he was never one to back down.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek, biting back a sarcastic comment. She couldn't help but wonder how he'd gotten Aisha and Trini to let him so close. "Hey."

"How're you doing?" Zack must have joined them.

Kim almost laughed. How was she doing? What kind of stupid question was that? She wanted to cry. She wanted to crawl back into her bed and hide under her covers until somebody revealed this as a big stupid joke. She wanted… wanted…

She finally willed herself to turn around and look at them. "I'm fine."

Zack's eyes darkened and Jason looked like he would refute her absurd claim. Aisha stepped in between them protectively. "We have to get going. Don't you have teachers to meet with, Kim?"

Relieved, the Pink Ranger nodded. "Yeah…" The sound of familiar laughter coming down the hall drew her attention; while she looked away, Trini gently shoved Jason and Zack back toward Tommy.

"Kim!" Some of the cheerleaders she'd captained through Middle School hurried over as a group. Their current captain wrapped her arms around the petite woman. "How are you holding up?"

Kim shrugged in the embrace. "Well-"

"Don't worry, he'll get what's coming to him," another girl spoke up. Kim pulled back and tilted her head questioningly. "You didn't know? Veronica told me that Rebecca told her she'd heard that that whore has herpes!" The entire group began giggling, nasty glints in their eyes.

She wasn't cheering any longer, and rarely hung out with them outside of a random lunch or two, but Kim was still one of the most popular girls in the school, and her former friends still had her back.

Tommy was going to regret ever cheating on her. And Jenny was doomed.

* * *

Kimberly poked lethargically at her salad with her fork. Even a few hours at school had been draining. She was trying in vain to tune out the chatter around her; the young women from all groups gossiping about Jenny and what she had done, the jocks talking about how stupid Tommy had been to get caught. The break-up of the high school's "Most Likely To Be Named Homecoming King and Queen" was big news, after all – especially with the dance just two weeks away.

"Actually, I heard Oliver has gonorrhea from sleeping with her," some junior at the table behind her murmured. Trini barely muffled her laughter. It was mean. It was a lie. It was also a bit of levity considering Kim was still all sorts of heartbroken and Tommy had been such an ass to Adam over the weekend.

He sat firmly at Kim's side, urging her to eat. "I know you're upset, but that's no reason to ignore your health." He was firm in the face of her glare.

The group was so involved in chivvying Kim – and in Aisha's case, warily eying the table where the boys sat, an island of solidarity in a sea of judgment – that they jumped when a lunch box and a brown bag were dropped at two open seats.

Even Aisha was distracted by the appearance of Bulk and Skull. Skull settled into his seat as though it was where he always sat; Bulk was a bit more apprehensive, but for once wasn't making a snarky comment.

Kim exchanged a look with Trini. The former Yellow Ranger shrugged.

"Can we help you?" Adam, whose guard was up following the weekend altercation in the Youth Center, asked with a raised eyebrow.

Bulk just shrugged while opening his lunch box, beginning to carefully assemble his sandwich. Skull hadn't looked up. Instead, he was digging through his bag. As they stared, he pulled out a Tupperware dish and peered inside. After a small moment of inspecting the contents, he smiled up at Kim.

"Cupcake?" He held the dish out; inside was a delicious-looking treat, topped with thick white frosting and a slice of strawberry.

Kim blinked, entirely thrown by this turn of events. "…what?"

Skull managed to adopt a slightly wounded look. "My mom made cupcakes. She doesn't bake often, but when she does, it's amazing." Next to him, Bulk nodded. "I thought it might make you feel better."

Aisha picked up on Kim's speechlessness. "No, I think she meant… what are you doing _here_?"

Skull shrugged. "Sitting with you guys."

"Why?" To say the group was flummoxed would be to put it lightly. It wasn't that they really disliked the two would-be bullies. It was more that they didn't generally travel in the same circles.

"It's not like we don't know what happened," Bulk said offhand, making Kim wince. "Tommy's always been a dork, but now he's the King of stupid dorks. Emperor of the dweebs, even." He gave Aisha a grin. "I heard you put your foot down on the dweebs being all nice to him, too. Good going."

Aisha blinked. "Um, thanks. I think?"

"You don't mind if we sit here, right?" Skull asked belatedly, as though suddenly realizing that their unexpected presence might not be welcome.

The Rangers exchanged looks. "I guess not," Adam said with a shrug. "Besides, that cupcake looks delicious." He snagged the container from Skull and nudged Kim. "C'mon, you like cake."

At Skull's encouraging look, and Bulk's threat to eat it himself if Kim didn't, the Pink Ranger took the treat.

Her heart was still broken, but life wasn't _all_ bad.

* * *

 **?  
Monday, September: Week 2  
4:30 pm**

"I told him! I freakin' told him!" Aisha muttered as she found herself back-to-back with Rocky in a location that was clearly no longer the park. "But does anybody listen to me?" She caught a putty in the chest with an elbow, dispatching another with a kick. "Of course not!"

Rocky would have rolled his eyes if he weren't so used to Aisha's occasional tirades… and if he weren't keeping his eyes out for Zedd's newest stupid creation. "What did he say, again?"

The squadron of mooks finally dispatched, the Yellow Ranger tugged down her hood and mask. "The glass-faced mirror moron?" At Rocky's nod, she repeated what she'd heard before they were dropped in this strange Carnival Fun House-like dimension. "I think it was 'reliability is key' or something like that."

"Reliability is… what?"

"Key," Aisha snorted. "I'm guessing like a door key or something?" She was trying her best to shove aside personal feelings while on Ranger duty, but it was so very hard when she was potentially trapped with a guy she had feelings for, had been friends with for more than ten years… and was so very disappointed in. "Good thing you're with me – at least we don't have to rely on Tommy."

This time, Rocky _did_ roll his eyes. "Whatever, 'Sha. He has never let us down as a leader, except the whole clone-thing, which really wasn't his fault."

Aisha shot him a nasty look. "You're taking up his side of things? Again? I'd always thought you'd have my back… when you're rallying for Tommy. I should have known I couldn't count on your support."

Rocky vanished.

* * *

"Hello?" Kimberly pursed her lips, peering around at the reflections that seemed to go on forever, pink and white as far as her eye could see. She'd morphed upon arriving – having been jumped one too many times in weird locations.

 _'I freakin' hate other dimensions!'_ Drawing her Blade Blaster warily, she stepped, arm out. "Anybody there?"

 _'If Billy were here, he'd be able to figure it out._ ' As though the thought had flipped a switch, the Blue Ranger appeared – falling to a pile of blue on the floor.

"Billy!"

"Kimberly?" With her help, he stood, stretching out a kink on his shoulder. "How did I arrive here so unexpectedly?"

Kim shrugged. "Dunno. One moment I was all alone and thinking about how much I hate these places, and that you'd figure it out, and then you were suddenly here."

"It would appear the monster teleported us to an alternate dimension, though I cannot be certain what triggered my sudden appearance next to you. I found myself quite alone when I re-molecularized originally."

She nodded. "Well, I knew you'd come through for me. I bet Adam's looking, too. I can depend on him."

For the second time in ten minutes, another Ranger materialized in their midst. "Oof!"

"Adam!" Kim smiled and threw her arms around the Black Ranger. "See, Billy? I told you he'd show up."

Billy's head was cocked, looking at Adam curiously. "Where were you before this?"

"With Rocky," Adam responded, muffled by Kim's shoulder. He gently unwound her arms. "He just suddenly showed up, grumbling about Aisha. It was really weird; I had just thought that I'd always be able to find Rocky."

"Like I did with you!"

"I believe I heard Zedd's monster make a comment about reliability. At first I suspected it was a throwaway line, but it would appear it was a key to unlocking this area. Perhaps it's only faith in our fellow Rangers that will allow us to traverse the dimension."

Kim snorted. "Oh, _great_. Then we'll be stuck here forever. Because there's no way-" She cut off with a cry as Billy suddenly popped out of existence.

"What happened?" Adam wondered.

"Billy will be back. Billy will be back. Billy will be back!" Kim chanted, hoping upon hope that her genius friend had figured it out. As though one of the kind Powers That Be heard her, Billy flickered in… and out… and in like a television with bad reception. "Um, what's happening?"

"Kimberly? Tommy?" Billy's voice sounded like it was underwater.

Kim's lips had thinned behind her helmet. If trust was the answer, she was screwed, because she didn't trust Tommy as far as she could throw him, and even that wasn't much despite The Power flowing through her body.

"Billy? You okay?" Adam asked, reaching out toward him. He could barely brush against him; it was more like touching static.

The Blue Ranger sighed. "One of you, please stop thinking about me. It would appear the rules of this world are trying to split me in two."

Adam nodded. "Kim, think about Aisha instead. Billy will come back."

Dutifully, Kim found solace in Aisha. The Yellow Ranger had rushed to her side once, even when she wasn't there, to defend her.

Aisha appeared, clad in her Ninjetti attire. "Girl, am I glad to see you!"

"What happened? Were you thinking about us?"

She lifted an eyebrow. "No. I was thinkin' about how I was gonna get through this place, kick that monster's ass, and then kick Rocky's ass to the moon. Why?"

Adam shook his head. "It's something to do with trust. I was thinking about Rocky when he suddenly popped in-"

"I told him he was unreliable and – go figure – he disappeared."

"I wonder if it was at the same time?" Kim muttered. "Or if like, we're in limbo or put all alone if nobody is thinking about us?"

Adam and Aisha shrugged as they continued to walk forward… left with nothing else to do until they could find a way out. "So, what's up with Billy?" Sha asked conversationally.

* * *

"Anything yet?" Jason was trying not to be annoying. Honest. He understood that Trini was under a lot of stress and that she did not often work in Billy's lab without the Blue Ranger there to guide her.

But considering there was a monster rampaging around downtown Angel Grove and the team was stuck in some dimension, more than likely trapped facing their worst fears or battling carbon copies of themselves or whatever else Zedd and Rita decided to play with today, he was not really in the best shape to be patient.

Trini's dark glower made him sit down and shut up despite himself.

"I will be finished in a few minutes," she said slowly, as though talking to a toddler. "I wasn't there when Billy last upgraded the Portal-Coms. Would you prefer we just run out to the park, set them up and randomly access a dimension in hopes that it's the right one?"

He wondered how she could make him feel like a bug without even raising her voice.

The next couple minutes were silent and dragged slowly. Jason had visions of falling buildings and giant monsters running through his brain, each image more cringe-inducing than the last. When Trini announced she was ready, he leaped out of his seat like he was rocket-powered.

"Okay, let's go!" He all but snarled when she tugged out of his grasp. "Trini, come _on!_ "

The tapping of her foot suggested the former Yellow Ranger was nearing the end of her rope. "Jase. Do you have the scanner?"

He flushed. "Oh." Quick as a wink he snagged Alpha's technical doo-dad from the counter near where he'd been sitting. " _Now_ can we go?"

She motioned for him to lead the way with a flourish. "If all goes well, we should be able to pinpoint at least one of them. I'll punch a vortex through. If they're together, we'll just have to do this once." Under her breath, she added, "and hopefully if not, we'll find Billy first and he can help me figure this out."

As they set up in the park, in an area generally hidden from prying eyes, Jason checked in with Zack. No change in the monster situation; it appeared to be running around making people turn on each other. Not maliciously, but suspiciously. It rankled in him to see the obvious jabs Rita and Zedd were taking at their expense. Just little things, to remind them that they were still watching.

' _Aisha was right,'_ flickered through Zack's mind as he watched it play out on the Viewing Globe. Not that he'd tell her that.

* * *

"Um, bro? Not that I'm looking, but your crotch is glowing."

Tommy stopped dead in his tracks as Rocky's comment sunk in. He looked down, then tilted his head toward Billy inquisitively. "It's not my crotch, dumbass. It's my Power Coin. I just don't know why it's glowing _red_."

Billy shrugged then motioned for Tommy to demorph. He and Rocky took positions around him for protection in case it was a trap… but a moment later, a hole appeared in front of them.

A hole to the park! With Jason and Trini standing on either side of it, each looking around furtively.

"C'mon," Jason hissed, frustrated. "Get your rears in gear and get out of there!"

"Trap?" Rocky muttered under his breath.

"If it is, it's a pretty crappy but realistic one," Tommy responded just as softly. "Billy?"

"Those are my Portal-Coms. I can see where I was forced to make some quick repairs after the Tenga attack when you were freeing Kim from Zedd's dimension a few months back. If this is a trick, it's incredibly believable."

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Trini stomped her foot. "I don't know how stable this thing is, and I want to get to Kim, Sha and Adam, too! So get out here or figure out where they are!"

Billy's eyes widened and he darted through. "Wait, how much power is left? I assume Jason made contact through Tommy's coin but the requisite energy the device consumes often leaves the batteries with little recourse than to drain themselves."

"Batteries are dead," Jason announced at that time, holding the inter-dimensional scanner aloft at that moment, as though Billy's comment was more of an order.

Trini's eyes widened. "Do you have back-ups? We can't just leave them in there!"

At that moment, a loud crashing could be heard, following by echoing laughter. "So, three of you trust each other? You won't when I'm through with you!"

"There aren't back-ups; they fried last week while I was attempting to replicate them!" Billy said anxiously.

Just then, Jason's communicator crackled. "Guys, you know I'm glad to see you, but there's the little matter of the monster running amok? You might wanna get on that!"

With a nod, Rocky and Tommy morphed to full power. Billy opted to hang back. "I think I can get the girls back. Jason and Trini, can you guard the Coms for just a short while longer?"

"Go do it."

Billy spun on his heel and – with a shudder – re-entered the void.

About 15 minutes later, Billy finally led Kim, Adam and Aisha out of the portal. All three were in Ninjetti garb, and Kim looked furious. Jason rushed to check on them while Trini helped dismantle the machinery; however, Kim gravitated to her best friend almost immediately.

Jason barely heard her mutter under her breath, "I knew they'd leave me in there. Big surprise, right?"

He bit his tongue on a snarky reply, opting to remind the remaining Rangers of their duties. "The monster is huge and the zords are out. Rocky and Tommy can't pilot the Megazord alone; they probably need your help to get to the killing, huh? Get going, we have this under control."

And thus, the first test of the Rangers: three people so distrusting of their leader that they would have remained trapped had Billy not figured out the dimension, now forced to work in unison with him in cramped corners. But they were Rangers, and teenage emotions be damned, they had a duty to the world.

"Let's go," Kim led reluctantly. "Let's get it over with."

They teleported to where the battle raged, and Jason sighed.

' _What a mess.'_

* * *

 **Command Center  
Monday, September: Week 2  
7:15 pm**

The sheer tension in the Zordon's meeting chamber was thicker than the alien Xyper-steel that covered the Megazord.

That made Billy all the more uncomfortable as he gave the post-mission debriefing to Zordon. While that was typically Tommy's duty, the Blue Ranger accepted that today their leader might accomplish more by saying less. Or so he hoped. "…Trini's quick thinking and technical prowess prevented what could have been a tragedy. My follow-up research showed that had Kim, Aisha, and Adam remained in Dimension seven minutes longer we might never have been able to triangulate a location signal to rescue them. The stability was waning by the minute."

" **Good work, Trini,** " Zordon singled her out for praise. " **Your calm resolve under fire saved your teammates and ultimately, the day.** "

Managing a tiny smile, Trini gave a modest shrug. "It was Billy's machine. And Alpha had the scanner. I just figured out how to tweak them to find our teammates. I'm just glad everything worked out."

Ever thankful for the humbleness of the Earthlings he'd chosen to be Rangers, Zordon also recognized their less-than-admirable qualities as well. Billy stood close to his glass tube, while Kim, Adam, Trini, and Aisha hung together on one side of the room near the Viewing Globe as if they were a separate team altogether. Tommy, Rocky, Jason, and Zack remained on the other. Not a good sign at all. The Eltarian Wizard had never seen his team so fractured before, but in light of recent events Billy privately made him aware of, he wasn't exactly surprised.

" **Tommy, please detail to me your assessment of today's events.** "

Exhaling deeply, Tommy stepped forward into the lion's den. Kim didn't so much as look at him, not that he was surprised. He'd hurt her so deeply and… he had to push that aside and deal with Ranger business for now. "It's obvious that Lord Zedd knows there are serious trust issues going on with our team. He used a monster with the ability to manipulate that in particular." Aisha's scowl nearly burned through him, while Trini's disapproval was obvious. Adam simply watched with an expression he couldn't read.

Clearing his voice, Tommy continued, "There are serious problems within our team right now, Zordon. We all know what I did, and that definitely contributed to today's dangerous situation."

Deep down, he knew he probably should have let it go with that; but Tommy felt defensive and just couldn't let this go without addressing it. "With all due respect, I have never – not _one time_ – betrayed any of you in my duties as a Ranger and leader. So I just don't understand how members of this team think I would ever leave them behind or not protect them."

"We don't need your protection," Trini explained, her right hand resting on Kim's shoulder to calm the Pink Ranger before she exploded. "We need to be able to trust you, and right now I don't," she admitted honestly, hating the disapproving glance Jason fired her way. The nerve of him when he was a part of this growing distrust among the team! She tucked that little bit of personal hurt away for a later date. "When you broke my best friend's heart, you broke so much more than that… and some of us," she fielded glance at the guys across the room, "can't sweep it under the rug."

"No one is asking you too, Trini," Tommy replied. "But I would never leave anyone behind or let them get hurt on purpose. Not ever."

Aisha rolled her eyes, sarcastically noting, "We also thought you would never cheat on Kim, but look how that turned out." Though Tommy's gaze darkened in her direction, she met it head-on. "I don't trust you either, Tommy. Not anymore."

Jaw tightening by the second, it took all Tommy's self-restraint to remain calm. And deep down it hurt to hear his teammates say these things. There were his closest friends once, and now they felt like enemies. On top of it all was Kimberly's broken heart. He had never hated himself more, and that was saying a lot given his emotions after his streak with evil. He tempered his voice. "Okay… although I already did this privately with Zordon, I want to again apologize to him, to Kimberly, and every single member of this team for my actions and the way things are with us right now. I'm deeply regretful of what I did and I am sorry."

"Your apology means nothing," Kimberly finally noted, having held her peace long enough. The maturity of being a Ranger had to be weighed against her devastated heart and the man who once swore he would protect it with his very life. Now even the sight of him tore her up inside. Coupled with her so-called brothers seemingly not caring at all… "I don't trust you, and I am not sure if I ever will again. I doubt you would let any of us die on purpose, but I don't think at the end of the day I know who you are anymore. And that concerns me out in the field." There, said with no tears or venting rages… both were being tightly held in for release later on when no one was watching.

Clearly appalled at what he was hearing, Jason spoke up next. "We all know what happened with Tommy and Kim, and we all hate that it happened. We all wish it never did… no matter what some of you think," he noted particularly in the direction of the group across from him. "But in the field, as our teammate and as our leader, I have the utmost faith in Tommy. He's never let us down as a Ranger. Yes, he messed up real bad by lying about what he did, but so did I." He ventured a look at Kim, who sent a scathing one back. She hadn't allowed him to see her or talk to her alone since everything went down, despite him trying every day. "I just believe in the separation of personal and professional issues as it pertains to being a Ranger. In his personal life, Tommy has to deal with the consequences of his actions. But as our leader he's done a hell of a job in my opinion. And I support him."

"Good for you, Jason. 'Cause you sure as hell don't support me." When Kimberly's trembling voice broke, most of the team had to look away as her pain was visible. Silence throbbed in the air like a living being. Finally, she asked, "Adam, what do you think?"

The quiet, sensitive Black Ranger found his voice at a time he wasn't sure he could. Addressing the team under normal circumstances normally wasn't his thing, and the way the guys were staring at him only made things worse… or easier, in some strange way. "Today showed us that Lord Zedd intends to use the bad blood in our team against us. So trust matters, and right now some of us don't trust Tommy the way we used to. It will continue to be an issue if Zedd keeps going after it."

"So I should step down as leader?" Tommy questioned directly, his shoulders tense, face etched in stone. "Is that what you want?"

"I want you to have never hurt Kim and betrayed our trust and belief in you." Of all the guys creating the cold vacuum he felt around him, that Rocky was among them hurt the most. Adam's sense of feeling alone to a degree was clear.

Having heard enough, Zack interjected, "I want that, too. But the fact is he did and now we have to find a way to work together as a team to protect the Earth." There was an edge to his voice when he spoke as he continued, "Trust issues are not a one-way street on this team. I can tell a number of us have issues with other people," he glared at Adam, and then sighed. "Nothing can be undone. All we can do as a team is move forward. On a personal level, well, that's obviously going to take a very long time to heal. But none of us are sweeping anything under the rug." His voice softened, looking to Kimberly for even a glimmer of recognition and understanding. He found less than none. She was so hurt and he hated that more than words could say. "Just because I support a good friend in remaining the leader of our team does not in any way mean I don't love my sister or approve in any way of what he did to her."

"You have a funny way of showing how you care when you side with the man who broke Kim's heart," Aisha declared angrily. "If the lot of you were any more insensitive you'd all be brick walls."

"None of us 'sided' with Tommy," Rocky challenged Aisha, who seemed half ready to rip his head off… while at the same time carried a note of sadness he recognized all too well. They were so close to something special, and now there was a Grand Canyon between them. He didn't know how to cross the distance. "Not one of us approve of what Tommy did. None of us think this is easy on Kim, or that we don't care at all about her. We all do." He sighed, ever the jokester who today had no jokes to tell. This was deadly serious. "The sum of who you are as a person isn't one mistake you made, in my opinion. I trust Tommy as the leader of the Rangers. As a person he's got a long way to go to win back all our trust and it ain't going to be easy. But I'm giving him a chance to do that."

"And I guess I just don't matter at all, right?" Visibly shaking, Kim shook her head, staring almost in shock at Jason, Zack, and Rocky. If they saw tears in her eyes, at this point she just didn't care. "So what if Tommy cheated? Maybe I should just forgive him and let it go and stop being a whiny bitch, right?"

"No, not at all!" The raw sorrow and vast disappointment on her face broke Jason's heart. That it was aimed at him only made it worse. "No one is saying that at all. I love you. We all do. None of us are going to tell you what to do or how to feel."

"I don't trust _you_ either, Jason." The venomous words echoed around them, as loudly as her heart was beating… as hurt as the expression in his eyes. How could the man she loved and the big brother she adored betray her so profoundly, and then stand united against her? "I hate saying that, but I mean it. And I don't want any of us to get hurt out in the field because we don't trust each other anymore."

Tommy bowed his head, exhaling deeply as Kim's pain left him feeling wretched inside. He deserved that and knew it, but not her. Jason could only stare mutely, having never heard her express feeling like that at him before. Trini worried that things might never be the same again. Aisha tried to bury her hurt, as did Rocky. Adam just wanted out of there yesterday. Zack scarcely recognized the men and women in this room.

" **Rangers**!" Zordon broke in, capturing all of their attention. " **Let us never forget that our duty is to protect the six billion lives on Earth. That has been, and will always, eclipse personal lives. When the day comes that it cannot, then I need to be made aware of it.** "

He continued, " **I do not wish to sound insensitive to the genuine hurt feelings of those on this team. But our enemies want to kill and enslave the world. The loss of even a single life is not worth the issues wracking the team right now. Since everything between Tommy and Kim happened recently, and your feelings are raw, I am going to trust the maturity and good moral character in each of you to find a way to work as a team again. But we** _ **will**_ **revisit the situation in thirty days. If a change needs to be made, it will be. Until then, I suggest you remind yourselves of what it means to be a Ranger, and the oaths you all took. This is not about me. This is not about you. This is about protecting the Earth. First, last, and always. Maybe the Power protect you. You are dismissed."**

With a heavy heart, Billy watched Team Kim silently walk away before teleporting off. He then watched Team Tommy do the same… all the while wondering how and why he'd named them as such. How incredibly fractured the team was now. He worried for the dark days on the horizon as he saw no easy answers ahead.

And he was infinitely sad that so many relationships and the entire team were broken.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some serious confrontations lead to painful revelations; the battle against evil gets personal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: psyco_chick32 – Shawn and I almost killed each other over the various scenes in this chapter. For the record, I would have won.
> 
> A/N: Shawn30 – What she said, only I totally would have won in the end

**Leona's Bistro  
Tuesday, September: Week 2  
5:00 pm**

  


Sunny skies and warm weather: California's claim to fame.

Jason waited patiently for his lady-love on the outside deck of Leona's Bistro, Trini's absolute favorite Italian restaurant. Normally not the dinner spot for a teenager on an average allowance as the dinner prices weren't exactly cheap, but he'd saved up for a while to take her here.

His original plan was a special night out on the town for her birthday the following month, but recent events called for them to need time away from the team and all the drama just to reconnect. He absolutely hated the distance he felt between them ever since everything came out and especially the night before. He hated being angry at her and knowing she was mad at him, and while he greatly sympathized with Kimberly's immense heartache and Tommy's guilt, he had to get his own relationship back on track.

And to do that they had to get away, even if it was just for one evening.

Feeling good after having gotten a haircut and wearing his nice red dress shirt, one he knew Trini liked on him, Jason was set for a romantic evening he hoped would be devoid of all outside issues. His mood was upbeat and hopeful, just waiting to see her…

And there she was.

His eyes widened appreciatively as the usually mildly conservative Trini Kwan was dressed to kill. She wore the shortest yellow skirt he'd ever seen her wear, one that exposed so much toned, smooth skin he had to adjust his seating position. She looked gorgeous and was wearing a smile he'd love to see for the rest of his life. He rose when she reached the table. "You look amazing."

"So do you," she replied, enjoying the loving, warm hug he greeted her with. He pulled her chair out as well, and once she was seated rounded the table to take his own. His manners made her smile. "Nice shirt."

"Nice skirt."

They hadn't had sex yet, and though that was probably a ways off, the eye sex was going on big-time.

Trini found herself bubbling with excitement despite the drama of the day before and the emotionally exhausting weekend that just passed. Tonight was about her and Jason, and she intended to enjoy that, to build on it and hopefully shield it from the fallout of everything else around them. Jason was certainly making her feel special so far. And he looked so good tonight. "I'm starved," she reported, wearing a grin. "The cafeteria special mystery meatloaf scared me today. I just couldn't eat it."

Jason shivered as he recalled it. "Same here. I don't believe any real meat was involved. I'll ask Billy to analyze a sample," he joked as another couple was seated across from them.

"You do that," she teased playfully as they engaged in small talk until their waitress arrived. They ordered a couple of diet sodas, and then two lasagna dinners.

"I've missed you."

Trini nodded somberly; she had missed him, too. They both knew why they hadn't seen much of each other in the past few days. A lot was changing far too quickly as far as the team went, as well as the interpersonal relationships, and she wasn't sure when things might get back to normal. _If_ they ever would. "I missed you, too."

"It's not that I want to ignore everything that's happening. It's just… I don't want to lose us in the process, you know?"

She nodded. "Agreed."

Feeling good, Jason exhaled deeply. He loved her and this was a nice, romantic chance to prove it. Still, his heart went out to his little sister and the private hell she must be going through. "With that said, I have to ask… how's Kim holding up?"

A quick, painful retort died on the tip of Trini's tongue. She found herself staring at him, but tried to quell the anger. "Well, less than a week ago she found out her boyfriend cheated on her with her worst enemy in Angel Grove High. She's devastated, Jase."

It tore him up inside to hear that. "I know. I hate that Tommy hurt her like that."

"You hurt her, as well," Trini pointed out, unable to bite her tongue.

"If she'd see me, I'd tell her my side of things. I would apologize and promise I'd never do anything like that again. I know that I hurt her."

Control wasn't easy, though Trini had mastered it best. The problem was that her very best friend in the whole world was grieving as if someone died. "It's not going to be that simple, Jason. You were her protective big brother and you chose to keep Tommy's ugly secret rather than tell Kim immediately that he'd been unfaithful," she tried to explain. "She trusted you to look out for her, and you didn't."

Jason sighed, having not wanted to get into this _again_. But the door was now open and they couldn't avoid it. "I regret what I did, Tri. I should have gone straight to Kim, or forced Tommy to do it. But I can't go back in time to fix things. Believe me, I wish I could. I am sorry and would like to tell Kim that face-to-face."

"It's more than that," Trini conveyed. "You sticking up for Tommy felt almost like you were saying what he did wasn't a big deal at all… when to Kim, it's the worse pain she has ever felt in her entire life."

"I'm only," he sighed, reeling his emotions in check, " _only_ supporting Tommy in that he shouldn't have to lose his leadership or place on the team because of a personal issue that – in my opinion – shouldn't affect the Rangers."

Trini rested her hands in her lap, suddenly feeling her appetite slip away. "Of all the people we know, we thought it was you we'd be pulling off of Tommy after kicking his ass."

Jason blinked, unsure of how to react. "That's my bro, like it or not. He screwed up bad, knows it, and accepts it. I knocked the crap out of him when I heard what he did. But in all my years of knowing him, he's never, ever been a bad guy – evil spells notwithstanding. What he did was terrible, yes. But If I completely abandon him now, what kind of friend am I?"

Trini's gaze narrowed as the tension between them grew. "What kind of brother are you after well over a decade of knowing Kim, and doing what you did?"

Biting his tongue wasn't his style, but he desperately wanted to avoid a fight. "I love Kim and always will. I would be by her side every day if she wanted me to, but she doesn't. She hasn't returned any of my phone calls or messages and won't say two words to me in school. I have been trying to reach her every single day since everything came out, but Aisha is always insulting me or Adam telling me to back off. I don't support cheating, never have, and I never cheated on you or any other girl I dated. I knocked Tommy on his ass. I hate what he did to Kim and the pain he caused her."

As hard as she tried to let this argument go, Kim's gut wrenching sobs came to mind. "Jason, you should be on Kim's side, period. You've known her longer and have always been her big brother. You and Zack, you have no idea how much more betrayed she feels that you both are siding with Tommy."

His head began hurting as he found was repeating himself. "I am _not_ siding with Tommy. I am thinking of our job, which – like it or not – is more important than _any_ romantic relationship. Tommy is a damn good leader and he shouldn't lose that. He's already lost his girlfriend, and other friends, and tons of respect from everyone who knew him. But he's a good man deep down and I believe he's a better guy than this. I'm not going to just throw him under the bus. At the same time I love Kim and want to apologize and be there for her. I'm not planning on telling her she should take him back or what happened isn't a big deal. I just want to be there for her."

"You can't be there for both of them right now."

"So I have to choose between people I love now?"

"Jason… you just don't get it." Trini was trembling as she spoke. "Kim is devastated by Tommy's betrayal, and there you are taking up for him." When he tried to speak, she lifted her hand, asking for a moment. "That's what Kim sees: her two brothers and a very good friend in Rocky all siding with the guy who broke her heart. All taking up for him against her, despite her being the one who was hurt."

Even as he heard the words, they made no sense to him. His chest suddenly felt tight as he sought to explain without losing his temper. Tonight was going downhill fast. "If you and Aisha would just let us in the house we could try and explain, _again_ , that none of us condone cheating or think Tommy is all that great a guy right now. He cheated and she had every right to dump him and I don't disagree with that. But it seems that no matter how many times I say that, it's just not sinking in."

She was taken aback by his angry tone, and was insulted by the way he spoke. Her voice came out just as razor sharp. "Right now, Kim is grieving and we have and will continue to protect her until she's made some peace with this. You betrayed Kim too, Jason. You!" She pointed at him, unsure who he was right then. Not the man she knew, that was certain. "And you're all treating Adam like garbage."

"Adam has his own opinion… he's welcome to it. But he's not the kind of guy we want around us right now."

" _You're_ not the kind of guy I want around _Kim_ right now."

With that, Jason's gaze turned dark. "I'm sick and tired of defending myself to everyone but the person I hurt. I'm sick and tired of assumptions and accusations about me that I can't even answer for to the person I hurt. So believe whatever the fuck you want about me!"

Before she knew it, she grabbed her glass of diet Coke and threw it in his face. "Go to hell!"

Eyes shut, he heard the click of her heels walk away as he reached for a napkin to wipe his face. Just then, both dinners arrived.

He asked for both of them to go, and then paid the bill. Not one damn thing was accomplished that night. The battle lines were drawn and the team was fractured in a way he'd never seen… never even imagined before.

And two people he loved dearly were angrier at him than they'd ever been before. However were they gonna resolve this mess?

* * *

 **Park House  
Tuesday, September: Week 2  
7:00 p.m.**

  


"Aw, man!" Rocky threw down his controller, watching as Adam's character in Mortal Kombat wiped his health bar dry. "You cheated!"

"Nope. You just suck." The Black Ranger snickered at his friend's put-out expression and stood to get some snacks, anticipating Rocky's empty stomach. For just a little while he allowed himself to enjoy the familiarity – a night playing games and hanging with his best friend. No drama, no relationship issues, no teams or sides to take. Just Mortal Kombat, movies, and some snacks courtesy of his mom.

"Thanks, bro," Rocky offered as he took the chips and soda. "I'm starving."

"Go figure."

The two were silent for a moment. As much fun as they'd been having, it was difficult to ignore the elephant in the room… the debacle of a battle the day before, Zordon's pronouncements and the verbal throw-down in the Command Center afterward.

"So… do you mind if I ask how Kim's doing?"

Adam shrugged. "She's dealing. Taking some things harder than others." Rocky nodded, and motioned for him to continue. "Uh… Aisha's trying to get her to go to the Homecoming dance, but I don't know if it's a good idea." He smiled ruefully. "Not that I know much about girls in the first place, so maybe Aisha's right."

Rocky frowned. "Does Aisha have a date?"

Adam gave him a look. "No. I thought you guys were going together, but word has it you're taking Terri Bradford. What's up with that?"

"Um, you remember the whole Aisha-thinks-I'm-scum thing, right?" Rocky asked, flabbergasted. "That's not exactly a winning combination for a great night out. Besides, it pisses me off. She's bitching me out for things she _thinks_ I think, and not letting me get a word in edgewise."

Adam nodded. "Yeah… Aisha and Trini are especially protective of Kim right now. I think it's their way of proving they won't side against her, no matter what anybody else does."

"But I'm not siding against her!"

Adam held up his hands. "I'm not saying you are. I'm saying she's kind of going overboard in trying to reassure Kim that she won't leave her. You have to admit, that's what it looks like Jason did, and that hurts Kim almost as much as Tommy… maybe more," he added.

"If you think she's going overboard, why are you still hanging out with them?"

Adam looked at Rocky askance. "I can either hang alone or be with the friends who don't act like I'm a diseased creature." Rocky looked slightly ashamed at that blow. "Aisha's kinda going nuts, but Kim can still use all the support she can get. What else am I supposed to do?"

Rocky grumbled a bit; it's not as if he could argue. In Tommy's eyes, Adam was just as bad as he was – Tommy betraying Kim, and Adam betraying Tommy. Totally different dynamics for sure, but still cause for concern.

"Anyway," Adam shrugged, "I don't really mind hanging out with the girls as much. It's not like I've really spent a lot of time around them before, outside of Aisha. Trini says it's educational." He laughed. "And it really does make me feel good to make Kim smile. It's not as easy as it used to be."

Rocky nodded; it was easy to see Kim was still very affected by what had happened. Tommy was, too, but Kim and the girls weren't ready to see that yet. "I gotta tell you… I may not agree with your opinion, but I respect you for sticking to it, even when Tommy was a bit of an ass to you." He caught Adam's expression and nodded. "Oh yeah, you can't tell me you haven't heard about it at school. Almost everybody heard Tommy yelling." He really was impressed. He hadn't expected his shy friend to stick to his guns like Adam had.

Adam looked away, shrugging again. "Yeah, well… what else is there to do?" The two fell silent for a moment. "So, think you can actually get a hit in this time around?" he asked, motioning to the controller on the floor.

Rocky grinned. "You're on! No cheating this time, though."

* * *

 **Angel Grove Youth Center  
Wednesday, September: Week 2  
3:30 p.m.**

  


For three years, the guys at Angel Grove High School were aware of one very large law of the land: Kimberly Ann Hart was with Tommy Oliver, and nothing would or could ruin that.

Except, apparently, Tommy himself.

But things had changed. Tommy had fucked up and inexplicably bailed on Kimberly to nail the sluttiest girl in the school. Worse, he had gotten caught. And as would be expected, Kim let him go.

Now, she was single. And the usual "army" of men any would-be suitor had to go through to get to her had thinned considerably in the aftermath of that betrayal.

But Kimberly wasn't exactly thinking about other boys when she arrived at the Youth Center after school. The only guys she'd thought about had been the ones she used to think of as family; it had taken nearly a full hour to work up the courage to go to a place they'd inevitably be working out or running classes. But she couldn't put her life on hold – her gymnastics, especially – because she wanted to avoid former friends. Plus, she had to meet Billy for a physics run-through before a big exam, and Aisha apparently had a friend showing up she wanted her to meet.

Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and walked through the doors confidently. She tucked her still-broken heart into the furthest recesses of her consciousness and embraced the fact that she was Class President, had the support of the most popular girls in school, and was wearing a kick-ass new pair of shoes that gave her height and made her legs look great.

"Kim!" Adam was sitting down at their usual table, smoothies in hand. Aisha and Trini sat with theirs, and an unfamiliar head of black curls faced away from her… probably Aisha's friend. Adam was talking animatedly with the person, and motioned for Kim to take a seat.

She turned, and blinked as she stared into deep blue eyes – almost the same shade as Kat's, and just as welcoming. "Um, h-hi," she stammered. "I'm Kimberly."

"Alexander," he introduced himself.

"Alex went to school in Stone Canyon with me and Adam," Aisha helpfully supplied.

Kim tore her eyes away long enough to see Jason, Zack, Rocky and Tommy over at the weight-lifting stations. A small corner of her mind felt bad, knowing Zack wasn't going to be hitting on Angela anytime soon. They'd reportedly had a big blow-up when she'd accused him of not coming down hard on "Cheating Tommy". It was a shame, since he'd finally gotten her to agree to accompany him to the dance.

She tuned back in just in time to hear Adam add, "And he trained with us and Rocky at our old dojo. Alex has a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu."

"Actually, I recently tested for my black belt," Alex proclaimed proudly.

"Congrats!" Kim smiled. "That type's more floor-oriented, right?"

Alexander nodded. "Yes. I understand Trini here studies martial arts, do you?"

She ducked her head. "Um, not really. I mean, my friends have given me a lot of lessons so I can handle myself in a fight… and I used to take karate classes as a kid."

"Kim does gymnastics," Trini offered. Kim couldn't help but notice even the former Yellow Ranger was enchanted by this new addition. "She was invited to participate on the Pan Globals team but turned Coach Schmidt down."

"Really?" Alex's eyes were wide. "Why would you do that?"

"I just… a couple different reasons-"

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable," he responded, putting a hand on her arm. "I didn't mean to pry."

Her arm was warm where he touched her and she was sort of afraid she might be blushing. "It's all good. I'm still competing around here and want to do it in college."

"I would love to see you perform some time. My little sister is learning gymnastics, but she is still young. I am sure somebody of your caliber would be a great role model for her."

"Kim teaches classes," Aisha mentioned. "Maybe Andrea could come take one or two."

The conversation continued as Adam watched on contentedly. He'd been worried Alex would be dragged into the fight between the Rangers, but he'd simply waved at Rocky before gravitating over to him and Aisha. The Stone Canyon teen always been closest with the Yellow Ranger, since she'd studied with his sensei for a short while – diversifying, she'd claimed, although Adam always thought she'd had a small crush on their friend.

He snapped out of his reminiscing when Aisha kicked him lightly under the table. "You think so, right Adam?"

"What?" He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I missed what you said."

"I said," she stressed, "that Alex and Kim should go to Homecoming together!"

Adam's eyes couldn't possibly widen any further. "…what?" His eyes darted over to the guys almost on instinct before shooting back at Aisha. "Why?"

Trini laughed. "Um, because she needs a date?"

He noticed Kim was nearly the shade of her uniform in embarrassment, but Alex simply looked amused.

"I would hate to interfere," he interjected smoothly. "After all, somebody as beautiful as Kimberly must certainly have a date by now."

He was smooth, Kim had to give him that much. And pretty, and built… a bit like Tommy, actually, but definitely more extroverted. "Actually," she tried desperately to keep her voice level, "I recently broke it off with a long-time boyfriend. I wasn't even planning on going."

"You have to go," Aisha insisted. It was something she'd said repeatedly over the past couple days. "You can't hole yourself up in your room forever. Besides, you're likely to still be crowned Queen. The Queen's gotta be there, and Alex here makes for some delicious arm-candy."

Alex laughed. "Thank you for your vote of… shallowness?"

"I call 'em like I see 'em."

Still, the dark-haired young man turned his eyes back on Kim. "It would be a shame for you to miss Homecoming of your senior year simply because you're no longer with your boyfriend."

Kim winced when Trini added, "And she already has a gorgeous gown."

"I don't know," Kim demurred. "Wouldn't it look slutty to-"

"It's not like you're jumping into bed with him," Aisha interrupted. "Just a casual date. As friends. It'd be fine, right, Adam?"

This time the Black Ranger had been paying attention. "I don't see why not." Okay, actually, he saw 101 reasons why it was a Bad Idea (capitalized, even) and many of them revolved around the other half of the Ranger team. But if it got Kim out of the house, and not feeling sorry for herself on the day she'd hoped her and Tommy would-

He grimaced. That was still kind of a gross thought.

"Go for it," Trini encouraged. Then she realized, "Of course, that's all depending on Alex." The girls laughed as they realized they had been talking like he wasn't there. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he waved them off. "I am friends with Aisha, remember? I'm used to being steered in various directions, whether I wish to or not." He smiled at Kim. "This, though, I would certainly not mind."

"Then it's settled," Aisha said with a clap.

"What's settled?" Billy settled himself into the last open seat.

"I'm sorry, but I must get going," Alex said apologetically. "It's a bit of a trip back home, and I still have homework to do. Do you still have my number, Aisha?"

"Sure do. I call you with all the information."

"Sounds good." He smiled again down at Kimberly. "I look forward to the dance. Have a good day!" With that, he strode out of the Juice Bar.

Trini began explaining the details to Billy as Kim's eyes followed Alex's progress out through the doors.

That man looked just as good walking away as he did walking toward her.

Rocky had a bad feeling when he saw Alex walk in with Aisha and Adam. He hadn't seen their old Stone Canyon pal in a few weeks, and it was odd for him to just show up out of the blue. He divided his attention between spotting Zack on the weight-lifting bench and the group sitting at a table on the other side of the Youth Center. "Hmmm…"

From where he stood spotting Tommy, Jason spared him a side-long glance and followed Rocky's gaze to where the other Rangers sat. A person he hadn't met sat with them next to Kim. He sighed, knowing that Kim was single right now and Lord knows Tommy didn't have a leg to stand on otherwise. Still, the way Aisha and Adam just brought some guy here irked him. Trini seemed a little too spellbound, too. "Hmmmm."

Tommy racked his weights, wiping his face with a towel when he sat up. "Any reason for the twin..." His eyes darted towards Kim's table and the dark-haired guy seemingly intrigued by her. He had that _look_ in his eyes… as though he were living off her every word.

His first instinct was to- _'Okay, can't do that.'_ His second instinct was to- _'Dammit, no – not that, either.'_ He couldn't do anything but die a little at the sight of another man making Kim smile. What was worse was that lately, all he seemed to able to do was make her cry. "Who's the new guy?"

"Alex, old bud from the S.C.," Rocky reported. Then he remembered what Adam had said. "I get the feeling we are witnessing a little match-making."

Tommy grumbled, but held his peace, still seated. "Anybody want to help me hide the body?"

Zack snorted. "We're in so deep with you now that if he turned up dead, they'd all testify we helped you kill him anyway," he joked. "And thank you for ending any hope I had with Angela. I'm roadkill to her right now."

Tommy gave a regretful nod. He'd heard. "Sorry, bro."

"Don't be. If she can't separate me and her from my friendship with you, then I'll find someone else. The Zack Man don't cry over no woman."

 _'Bold words,'_ Jason thought, and he didn't believe any of them. But sometimes you told yourself what you needed to just to get through your pain.

Finally he couldn't watch anymore and looked away. Tommy knew he had no right to say anything if a guy was flirting with Kim. He had no rights to her at all, especially now. Didn't mean it didn't hurt to see the woman he still loved laughing with another guy not 15 feet away. And unfortunately, kicking his ass would be a bone-headed move, not to mention making things so much were than it already was. "Maybe I'll just break his leg."

"Nah, man. Limping guys get all the girls," Jason joked. "Sympathy and all."

Zack added, "He could break his arms."

Rocky shook his head. "Upper body casts are sexy to women. _Seventeen_ magazine says so."

"How about we all just shove Tommy down a flight of stairs for ruining our love lives," Jason considered with a grin.

Tommy stifled a laugh as he watched the new guy smile a little too brightly at Kim, then get up and walk away. Nothing about this was funny, least of all him just sitting here doing nothing. But what could he do that wouldn't make things worse? "Thanks for the workout, guys. I'm heading out." He knew he wasn't invited to the Madden football night at Jason's house. The guys were serious that everything wasn't just going to be like it was before he cheated. But they hadn't turned their backs on him – and were willingly facing the consequences. It meant more to him than he could say. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

"Later, man," Zack said, followed by Rocky and Jason.

Tommy made his way home – another night alone.

* * *

 **Campbell House  
Thursday, September: Week 2  
7:00 p.m.**

  


Tommy shifted from foot to foot outside the door to the Campbell house. The last time his heart beat so fast, he was about to face off against Lord Zedd to save Kimberly's life. Nobody's life was on the line this time... but his heart was. Something told Tommy this was make-or-break time for their relationship.

It was only 15 minutes ago that Kim had called, requesting he come by the Campbells' home. It was the first time she'd said anything to him since she approached him in the park that God-awful day. She quietly told him she had some questions, and he would be the first to admit he owed her some answers. He owed her everything - _anything_ \- that he could give her, and he would bow and scrape for a chance to make things right.

He fervently hoped this was his chance.

Deciding it would be better to just tackle this, and not stand on the doorstep all day, Tommy knocked. The door opened almost immediately to reveal Aisha, whose face wore a sour expression.

"Hey, 'Sha… Kim wanted me to-"

"She's in her room," Aisha interrupted, stepping aside.

It passed through Tommy's mind that Jason, Zack and Rocky hadn't been allowed even this far inside the house, and a pang of guilt hit him in the gut. It was an all-too familiar feeling.

Tommy was taking off his shoes when Caroline Dumas walked through the door to the kitchen into the hallway. He froze, eyes widening. Kim's mother was here? His heart began to sink. There was no way this could end well.

Mrs. Dumas regarded him silently for a long while with lips thinned by a tight frown, her eyes boring into him until he began to fidget. "I shouldn't have let Kimberly stay. She should have come with us to France," she finally said. "I feel like I failed her by allowing her to stay here - especially for extending that out through this school year. You told me you'd never disrespect her like her father disrespected me."

Tommy hung his head, bobbing it lightly in a nod before looking up. "I'm so sorry. It's the biggest mistake I've ever made."

"I'm so disappointed in you and so very angry. I thought you were better than that; I _told_ Kim you were better than that when you guys were arguing a few weeks back." His heart sank as it occurred to him that Kim had worried… while he was in bed with Jenny. Mrs. Dumas hadn't moved, but it felt as though she'd slapped him, for all she never once raised her voice.

When Tommy didn't respond – what could he say? – she turned her back on him and walked back into the kitchen.

Aisha leaned against the wall, glaring daggers at him. Arms crossed, her fingers were clenched as though she longed to wrap them around his throat and squeeze. It was a look he was sadly starting to get used to when it came to Aisha and Trini. He had little comfort in knowing that Kim had called this meeting, and Aisha had to let him pass whether she liked it or not.

Tommy eyed the stairs with trepidation. With a deep sigh, he crossed his fingers that this confrontation would go better than the one with her mother, and trudged past Aisha and up the stairs. _'She called me,'_ he reminded himself. _'She didn't have to. I can make this better. I can make this up to her. I love her and I know she loves me… we can get past this.'_

He was halfway down the hall when the door to Kim's room opened; he thought for a moment she may have heard him coming and paused. Instead, he was confronted with a sight that made his blood boil: Adam backing out, hand on the doorknob. "Are you _sure_ you don't want me to stay?"

Tommy couldn't understand Kim's responding mumble. He seethed at the thought of Adam sitting there when he and Kim were supposed to be working out their problems. _'Who the hell does he think he is?'_ Fucking traitor.

"If you're sure…" Adam turned, closing the door with a soft click. He looked up and for a moment, it felt like a stand-off in an old-fashioned Western film. It wasn't a long hallway but it may as well have been the Pacific Ocean for how distant they were.

Adam studied his leader from the entrance to Kim's room, feeling incredibly protective of the young woman inside. He'd spent a week watching her sob, hugging her, trying to bring up her spirits. She'd finally hit the point of _numb_ – feeling enough to tackle Tommy and all the questions only he had the answers to.

But he loathed the very idea of letting Tommy through that door. Kim would get her closure, but at what cost? Tommy had caused Kim unimaginable pain. Sure, he was hurting too, but he deserved it for his actions. Kim didn't deserve anything Tommy did to her. There was some part of him that _knew_ if Tommy went into that room, Kim would be a mess again – Tommy would walk off and leave him, Aisha and Trini to pick up the pieces.

Since the confrontation in the Youth Center, Adam had lost all but a shred of respect for this man who had betrayed Kim and then, because he couldn't handle the stress of what _he_ did, burned the olive branch Adam held out to him. Adam hadn't fallen in line like a good little soldier, and that seemed to make Tommy mad as hell. He was seeing a new side of Tommy; a side he didn't like, and didn't care to get to know.

It was amazing what a week could do for a once-strong friendship.

"You hurt her," Adam said warningly, "and I don't care if you're bigger. I will break you."

There was a cruel retort on the tip of his tongue, but Kim was just on the other side of the door and the last thing he needed was to ruin any hope he had by starting this off picking a fight. _'Fuck him. What does he know?'_

Adam wanted to smile when Tommy wouldn't, _couldn't_ respond without looking every bit the asshole he'd been lately. As much as he hated being ostracized by the guys, knowing that he alone had the privilege of being Kim's "big brother" and defender filled him with a strange amount of satisfaction. If none of the other guys would call Tommy out on his douchebag behavior, Adam would.

Taking another deep breath, Tommy walked forward, stepping around Adam who stood like a sentinel in the middle of the hallway. "I've never, ever wanted to hurt her," he murmured.

"Next time, just stab her in the chest," Adam suggested softly, without making eye-contact. "It'll hurt less." With that, he headed down the stairs.

Tommy watched him leave, wanting nothing more than to shove him down the staircase. But that would be counter-productive, and Aisha was between him and the doorway, and all he needed was another reason for the Yellow Ranger to try to kick his ass.

' _Enough stalling.'_ He knocked, lightly at first. "Kim?"

"Come in."

His stomach in knots, saying a silent prayer that he could somehow salvage his relationship, he slowly pushed the door open. He stopped in the doorway, a bit shocked at the changes the roof had already undergone. Part of her wall had been a collage of pictures of her and her friends - he had a bit of a starring role that he'd loved to tease her about. A poster of Leonardo DiCaprio hung in its place. A large picture of Brad Pitt hung where a large picture of them from their Junior Prom had been before.

' _Whoa…'_ As much as he knew he hurt Kim, had seen her around school trying to put on a good face when they all knew she was breaking inside, this was more tangible evidence of her attempts to get him out of her life.

"Um, hey."

She sat on the bed, pointing at her desk chair. "Hi."

"You… um, you said you had some questions?" He took a seat quickly, fidgeting a bit as she refused to look at him directly. "I'll answer anything you want, but let me start by saying that I swear, I am so sorry for what happened with Jenny. I don't know why I made the mistake I did. I just know I regret it more than anything I have ever done before. And I am so, so sorry."

Kim sighed and forged on as though he hadn't said anything. "Is this the first time you've cheated on me?"

Tommy felt blind-sided by the question and blinked. It was only after a second that he realized, and grudgingly accepted, that she had no trust left in him. His gut clenched painfully. She looked so sad and utterly disappointed in him. "Yes. This is the only time ever."

"How… how did this even happen? I mean, I thought- I know we were arguing but I didn't think things were this serious." She clenched the sweatpants she wore tightly; her knuckles were white and she sounded lost. "I _told_ you not to go to that party… was this some kind of way to get back at me?"

Tommy hung his head, and then pushed past his internal pity party. This was for her, giving the answers she needed. He'd give her the truth and nothing but. "I was frustrated after our argument and I just wanted to get away and lose myself. I never should have gone to the party, but I didn't go there with intentions to… I should have just gone home. God knows I wish I did." He looked up at her through his lashes. "But I didn't sleep with her to get back at you, or because I was angry with you or anything like that. I-I was just a selfish idiot who hurt the one person I love most in the world. I'm just a fool."

She wanted to hit him. To throw things at him, scream in his face about what a scumbag he was. Damn it, but some part of her actually wanted him to hug her and make everything better and he _couldn't_ because he'd caused this damn pain. Or had it been her? "No, _I'm_ the fool. I thought you were better than this. You told me everything I wanted to hear… that you understood, that you were okay with waiting, that you knew I was weird in relationships because of my dad and mom. And I believed you."

She sighed, eyes fixated at a point just over his shoulder. If she looked him in the eye, she'd break down again. Or kill him. Neither option was all that appealing. "Tell me what happened. How did she get you to fuck her when you seemed so willing to wait for me?"

And there it was: the big question. The final nail in the coffin. She wanted an answer to a question he was still pondering himself. He had never felt as low as he did right now. "I wasn't drunk or angry at you or any other excuse I could make. I was at the party, but was mostly staying off to myself. When she came over, we started talking and… I-I don't know why, but the music was too loud and I just wanted to get away. I never should have gone upstairs with her. I was perfectly happy waiting for you. I _love_ you, Kim. I can only imagine how little weight that holds right now, but it's the truth. I just…" He sighed, so disappointed in himself as he relived those moments. "She kissed me and one thing led to another. I made the worst mistake of my life, and was such a coward that I couldn't confess to you right away. I'm _so_ sorry I betrayed you." He couldn't repeat himself enough; she had to believe him!

The words coming out of his mouth made no sense to her. Zero sense. Negative sense! He couldn't stand Jenny, always brushed her off when she tried to drape herself on him in the past. Had it been an act? Something to make her think he only wanted her while banging that whore on the side? Jenny was the whore that prostitutes looked down on and called a slut.

She pursed her lips, trying to get through these questions she still wasn't sure she wanted the answers to. "And you just let her kiss you. And kissed her back? Was she sitting on your lap?"

This was a Kim Hart he'd never seen – never _wanted_ to see – before, one who looked at him with disgust in her beautiful brown eyes. She hadn't asked him here for anything resembling a possible reconciliation; how stupid he'd been to hope for that! No, she needed details on the darkest, most ugly moment of his entire life. At the very least, hurt as he was, he could give her the truth.

"Kim, I just did it," he offered with no excuses. Nothing was going to fix this, he was starting to realize. "When Jenny locked the door behind us, I kinda knew what was going to happen. I was out of my head, just caught in a moment that I regretted as soon as it was over. I never wanted Jenny and wasn't flirting with her beforehand or since." It was little consolation, he was certain. "I don't want her, period. I'm just a jerk who made a terrible mistake I will always regret… and I'll never, ever do it again."

She swallowed, closing her eyes for just a moment to gain her composure. No doubt this would another night of being sick to her stomach over what he had done. _He'd_ regret it? What about her? Did he have any idea how much she regretted ever falling in love with him?

"You regretted it as soon as it was over, you say? Did it ever occur to you while she was kissing you that you _had_ a girlfriend?" She opened her eyes, staring out the window in a futile attempt to keep herself sane. "You didn't answer me. Did you kiss her first?"

"No," he replied softly. "She made the first move."

"And you went along with it."

"I… I didn't stop her. I should have, b-but… I didn't."

"How did it happen? Was it on her bed?" She sneered, "How many times did you get her off first?" He had always been enthusiastically physical with her, despite never quite crossing that line. The thought of him and Jenny- Oh, God, she wanted to hurl. She hated herself so much. What had she done to deserve this? She desperately needed the details, so she could stop imagining them together, each thought worse than the last. But the truth was no better.

Swallowing deeply, Tommy centered himself, not pushing for why she needed these specifics. It was enough that she did, and that every word would kill him just a little bit more. It wasn't enough that he knew he had utterly lost her. No, she wanted the facts and then she would want him gone. "We were kissing, and then we fell on the bed. I- we got undressed and did it one time. There wasn't any other stuff… oral or whatever. It happened and then it was over."

"Did you use protection? Were you on top? Just taking what you wanted and damning the consequences? Or is the Great and Powerful Tommy Oliver above those?" Kim stopped before she could get her rant going, letting out a deep sigh and rubbing her forehead as another tension headache began to build.

His hand covered his mouth for the longest time. "Yes, we used protection. She was on top cause I really didn't- You know I was a- We had sex with her on top and then it was over. We never really took all our clothes off."

" _We had sex."_ Those words would echo in her head for days to come. It was one thing to hear Jenny say it, but from Tommy's own mouth… There was no living in denial now. Even the details didn't cement it as much as those three stupid, short words.

"So there was at least a moment or two there where anybody with a conscience might have realized, 'Hey, I'm not single and this is kind of a slimy, cheating, asshole, douchebag thing to do.'" She lifted her head to stare at him directly for the first time all night, forcing herself to ignore how pained he looked.

What right did _he_ have to be upset?

"Why Jenny? Why the one person in the world you _had_ to have known would take so much bitchy pride in rubbing this in my face?"

He was at a loss for an explanation. "I don't know, Kim. I wasn't thinking about her like that. I guess I just wasn't thinking at all. I… I just fucked up and betrayed you and I hate myself."

"Bull. You were thinking. You were thinking about you, and what _you_ wanted," Kim scoffed. "She's taller than me… prettier, a red-head, bigger boobs. Did she kiss better than me?"

"She's nothing compared to you, Kim. Nothing at all, and if I wasn't so weak or just plain stupid and selfish, this wouldn't have happened. This is all my fault. You are beautiful to me. Always have been and always will be. It-It's just something happened that night. I don't have any feelings for Jenny at all. I only love you."

She snapped. "No you _don't_!" Kim pushed herself angrily off the bed, wobbling as her headache from fighting off tears made itself known. Her fists clenched at her sides so she wouldn't give in to the temptation to claw that kicked-puppy look off his face. " _Stop saying that!_ You don't fucking love me! Don't lie to me like that! You may have loved me once but when you can do this… when you can betray me and fuck a person who has been out to get me for the beginning, then go on and act like nothing ever happened? If that's your idea of love, then I don't fucking want it!" Her chest heaved and she shook with the effort to stop herself from just bursting into sobs. A few tears managed to leak down her cheeks; she turned, refusing to let him see her cry.

There was no defense to her argument or end to her misery. He truly loved Kim, but his actions suggested otherwise. The sight of her crying tore at his heart. He longed… _ached_ to reach for her and draw her into his arms, but knew that was the last thing she wanted. "I will _always_ love you, Kim. And I am so sorry for all the pain I've caused you."

A couple slow, even breaths helped get herself back on track. She wanted to slap him, to break his jaw, to rip his dick off and beat him to death with it. She wanted- nothing she wanted was ever going to happen, and she had to learn to deal.

"I can't believe you told Jason but not me." She let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "I guess all the girls are right; guys just want sex with the first girl to spread her legs so he can go chat about it with his _bros_." She drawled the word out as if it had a disgusting flavor. "I have awful taste in guys, apparently… friends _and_ so-called family."

She turned back to him. "So, keep going. You let her fuck you, with no problems whatsoever, probably loving every second of it. What then? A bit of cuddling? Telling her how beautiful she is?"

Every hurt word hit him like a fist. He was so ill-prepared for this, but you reap what you sow.

"All guys aren't like me, Kim," he hoped to explain; though between him and her father, he was sure it was difficult to believe. "I made a huge mistake, but that's not what all guys would do. I was too much of a coward to tell you right away that I betrayed you. I admit that. I won't make any excuses. It wasn't about the sex at all, though I can only imagine how that sounds."

"It wasn't about the sex? Then what the fuck was it about? Hurting me? Making me pay for being argumentative? Showing who the boss was? One-upping people? Well, congratulations," she mocked viciously with a slow clap. Anger to take away that pain. "You stuck your dick in a girl who probably has more STDs than As on her report card and all your perfect little man-pals stuck by you. The only thing you've lost is _me_ and I clearly didn't matter that fucking much to you, because here we are!" She slumped on the bed, getting exhausted. This was painful, and killing her, and she had more questions. "You never answered my question."

He still couldn't figure out why she wanted the details. Still, this seemed to mean something to her. "Like I said, we barely took all our clothes off. When it was over with I just laid there for a few minutes and couldn't believe it even happened at all. I felt sick and just rushed up out of bed. I got rid of the condom, put my clothes on and left. No kissing, no cuddling, no nothing. I don't even remember the drive home."

"Well, that's convenient. You don't remember," she scoffed. "So if it wasn't about the sex, what was it about?"

He gazed into her eyes, wondering if she'd ever appeared so small and fragile to him before. He felt sick, angry, and unsure of everything in his world. "I don't have a specific reason, Kim. I don't have an excuse. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person and I just did it. I was selfish and stupid and immature. I regret from the bottom of my heart. I wish it had never happened."

When Tommy had first been used as Rita's Evil Green Ranger, she'd sworn there was still good left in him. Why was it so hard to find now, when he was trying so hard? She licked her lips before forcing out her next question. "…what did I do to deserve this?"

When he didn't respond right away, she swallowed and added, "What could I have done differently… what should I do next time to not be cheated on?"

How could he make her understand? She'd never believe him if he told her the truth now, of how happy he was, how much joy and fun she brought to his life. "Beau- Kim," he caught himself, knowing she didn't want to be called that. "No one helped me deal with losing my powers or being hunted by Zedd the way you did. Your support meant the world to me, and your love… God, it was all I wanted and I was happier than I'd ever been before. You're funny and sexy and smart and bold and- You didn't do anything wrong; I did. There's nothing about you I would ever change. I'm the one who needs to grow up. You are a wonderful young woman and I miss you every single day. I hate that I lost you."

For all she tried, she couldn't stop her lips from trembling. How could he do this and then say there was nothing wrong with her? "If I had put out, or been less bitchy lately, or not have told you to go to the party… would that have changed things?" She wrung her hands. There had to be something, anything she could do. "You, Jason, Zack, my dad… every guy just seems to- what the hell is _wrong_ with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you. Nothing at all. Sometimes people just make really bad choices in life. Your dad did and so did I. But Jason and Zack love you very much and want to support you. They don't think what I did was right at all."

Kim shook her head. "If he hated what you did, Jason would have told me." She snorted. "Seems like he forgot he was my brother first."

Realizing she was stalling, she dove in again. "Why the hell didn't you stop her? You've never seemed interested in that bitch before. You always blew her off and rolled your eyes, but then you slept with her?"

"Kim, I've already told you, I was just out of my head. I wish to God I had stopped her, but things were so crazy and… it just happened," he repeated with an exasperated, exhausted breath. What more could he say when he didn't have his own answers? "I betrayed our relationship, Kim. I just messed up," his voice trembled. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I'm not telling you or holding back. You know everything."

Kim's hand came down hard on the mattress. "I _don't_ know everything! I don't know why you would do this to me, or what I did to deserve it, or why it would be that whore of all people! I don't know how you can sit there are look at me and try to sell that 'person I love the most' bullshit when your actions say so much more than your words!" She gulped for oxygen around the lump in her throat. Anger. Anger was so much easier than pain. "I don't know why my so-called brothers would jump to your defense, or why you would spend three days treating me like a Queen when you had to have known I was going to find out."

She leveled him with a tearful glare. She was beyond caring if he saw her cry… like it fucking mattered to him, anyway. "Were you ever going to tell me? Or were you just going to butter me up and hope she kept her lips firmly around your cock and not tell anybody?"

He faced her despair with the only thing he could give her: honesty. "I was a coward, Kim. I thought if I had a couple of days I could find a way to tell you, but…" He shook his head. "I should have never asked Jason for that. I knew once you found out you would end us, and I was afraid of that. I made so many mistakes. I take full responsibility for everything that happened. If there's anything you want me to do, I'll do it... except leave the team."

She rolled her eyes. What did she want him to do? Go back in time and never have cheated. Take a long walk off a short pier. Let her eject him out of the CraneZord at 10,000 feet without a parachute and without his morpher.

And she could do none of them.

"I can't ask you to leave the team," she responded sullenly. "You're our leader and it's been made exceedingly clear in the past few days that us lesser Rangers don't have much say anyway." She'd never let him realize how much that burned her up inside. She'd been a Ranger far longer than him and that service meant nothing compared to the Great and Powerful White Ranger.

"Just get out."

Lips pale and thinned, face drawn and white, Tommy nodded. He wanted to apologize again, to get on bended knee and beg for forgiveness… but something told him to just walk away, at least for now. So he did, the door sounding like the pounding of a judge's gavel. Each step felt like he was walking a mile until he got back down the stairs.

"-so thankful for everything you've done for my daughter," he heard Mrs. Dumas say from the kitchen. He took a deep breath, willing himself to keep walking past the door and praying for no more encounters – to let him get home and lick his wounds in private. "She's gold me about what a sweetheart you are, and the fact that you stayed to make sure she's okay tonight is proof positive."

"Not a problem, Mrs. Hart. Oh, sorry- Dumas."

Adam. Tommy's fists clenched. He was still there?

He padded past the kitchen, eyes drifting almost against his will to see where Aisha, Adam and Kimberly's mother sat at the table eating some fresh-baked cookies. Peanut butter cup and chocolate chunk – Kim's favorite. No doubt a comfort food thing.

Nobody said a word, and he stooped to shove his shoes on.

In a moment, he was gone, back in his Jeep and heading home, his heart utterly broken by knowing how badly he had mangled Kim's.

* * *

 **?  
Friday, September: Week 2  
4:00 p.m.**

  


Thirty minutes ago Tommy found himself trapped in the dimly-lit, cold, smoky catacombs of the Dark Dimension. He was fully morphed, having battled a group of Tengas only moments before a bright light burned into him out of nowhere. He staggered awake to find himself trapped here, and if that wasn't bad enough…

 _'I have filled my Dark Dimension with dozens of violent alien creatures, all vying for my favor. I have informed them that the one who kills you will know untold wealth and power by my side. They all want to rip you apart, and won't stop until you are torn to shreds. Consider this an eye-opening gift, as that's what it's meant to be. Hahahahahaha!'_

Lord Zedd's maniacal laughter rang through his subconscious as Saba slashed a deep gash across a hulking lizard-beast's belly. It howled in agony before Tommy severed its head from its broad shoulders. The slimy emerald-colored blood dripped off the edge of his blade as his heart beat to a primal war-drum. "Get out of my head!"

 _'Tommy, why are you so angry? Why are you so filled with rage? Look around you. I've given you exactly what you wanted tonight: an outlet for your pain and suffering… a way to kill the loneliness… to silence the voice of anyone who opposed you. Don't you see, my friend? You want so much more than what you have. Most of your friends have abandoned you. Your true love wishes you were gone forever. Why stay and suffer on Earth? There's a whole galaxy we could conquer. You're a warrior far above such teenage drivel. Look at all the dead bodies lying at your feet, the blood you've spilled in the name of survival. Would Zordon give you permission to kill? Never. But I would. I would unleash the rage you fight so hard to hold in check. I would never deny you what you want, Tommy.'_

The Dark Dimension was frigid and violent; overflowing with the most insane demons and vile creatures Lord Zedd had captured, created, or simply enjoyed their violent nature enough to deposit there. Wretched darkness clouded the minds of anyone trapped in it as the endless maze of dread and despair could drive its occupants into madness as they struggled to escape.

That was where the White Ranger was now held prisoner, fighting for his life while Lord Zedd tempted him with power and damned him with the immense pain of his unexpected betrayal.

Evading a deadly strike, Tommy somersaulted over the heads of two Cyclops swordsmen. He could have easily severed their hands from their wrists, disarming them. But before he could think, Saba's blade cut into the meat of their throats, slaughtering them as they crumbled in agony. Their dark blood splattered over his armor before he turned and raced through the claustrophobic catacombs, searching for some way out. "I'll never turn evil or work for you!"

 _'You're halfway there already. If you could hurt Kimberly, you can hurt anyone.'  
_  
"Show yourself!" Tommy screamed as he navigated the dark corridors that seemed to go on for miles. It was so viciously cold he felt the biting air even inside his White Ranger armor. "Face me!"

 _'No, I don't think I will. This is a character study and you are my favorite guest. I'm giving you a little bit of war and simply proving that to you secretly love it. The battle… the hunt… your mind was susceptible to Rita's magic because deep down, you're far darker than you realize. Sometimes you simply want what you want,'_ Lord Zedd's menacing voice echoed inside Tommy's mind. _'You always thought you were superior to Jason, and you proved it. You wanted to be leader, and you claimed it. You wanted Jenny, so you took her. You want to kill me, and if I were there right now, would you deny yourself? Or would you strike me down without hesitation?'  
_  
Tommy traded wild sword slashes with a huge four-armed reptilian creature. He was slammed backwards into a huge cracked wall, the pain shuddering through him in waves. He rose to his feet, and side-stepped a second attack, wrenching Saba into the belly of the beast before tearing it out. The creature shrieked its final breath. Tommy lorded over it, gasping for air, waiting for the next attack. "I'm a Ranger. And you're no more than a violent coward."

 _'And yet over twenty dead bodies are littered around you. You're quite the butcher, Tommy. You wield such technique when you kill. By your own hand, you have ruined the love you shared with Kimberly. Half your team no longer believes you are fit to serve. Who trusts you at all? You have lost everything… and even more than you realize. Allow me to illustrate.'  
_  
The Dark Dimension dissolved around the White Ranger swiftly… a moment later the shadowy haze swirled to form a place he had been just the night before.

Kimberly's bedroom.

"Oh… _ohgod_ … Adam, don't stop. Take me… make me yours!"

Tommy gasped loudly, struck wordless by the sight. His throat shut tightly as he was held perfectly still, in one place by some unseen force. But on the bed, he clearly saw Adam making love to Kimberly beneath the covers. They were moving as one, slowly, passionately. He shouted and yelled, but no sound came from his mouth. White hot rage filled his lungs, as fire scorched his thoughts. He never, _ever_ wanted to see anything like this! The pleasured expression she wore… the sounds she made… claiming that she was Adam's… and the whole time, Lord Zedd laughed in his ear.

 _'You have lost her, and to a so-called friend no less. See how she gives her body and heart to him freely. Do they appear to be new lovers… or has this happened a few times already? You have been replaced, Tommy. She craves him, making love to him at night while you struggle to sleep and die on the inside. So unfair, isn't it? So humiliating to watch how she clings to him as he takes her harder.'  
_  
Feeling sick with jealousy and sadness, Tommy wanted to die. Was this what Kim imagined at night? Him with Jenny over and over again? Was this the hell she endured knowing of his betrayal? He felt wretched and sick, so wickedly angry he wanted to… he wanted to…

 _'I can unleash you, Tommy. I can allow you to take what you want. I give you permission. Do it! Give into your passions! Take what belongs to you! Slay Adam! Kill him! Tear his throat from his neck! We will wipe Kimberly's mind and she will be your slave forever. I'll abandon Earth, and with you by my side we can take over the galaxy. Pledge your allegiance to me! Swear it and take what is yours!'  
_  
The invisible bonds that held him were suddenly gone. His fist clutched Saba tightly. Rage coiled in his stomach like a deadly cobra ready to strike. The past few weeks had been a pure hell all his making. All his fault. Kim's suffering… he was to blame. Only him. But here, now, he could wipe it clean. He could take her back and then that rat-bastard friend of his would pay the price for his fucking betrayal.

But… but this wasn't real, and he knew it.

Just because Tommy thought his character was dog shit didn't mean Kimberly's was.

Just because Adam didn't have his back one time didn't mean he'd ever do anything like this.

Tommy slowly shut his eyes, breathing deeply, blocking out Lord Zedd and everything else. He found that well of resolve and calm that had always allowed him to overcome any obstacle. "Nice try, Zedd, but all of this is my fault and it's up to me to make things right. There's no magic button that will all of a sudden fix things. You are a liar and a deceiver. You're selfish and angry and though I'm falling fast, I'm going to stop my fall before I hit rock bottom. I'll never be as selfish as you are. I'm going to find my way back to being the man I know that I am. I'm not going to take the easy way out," he swore to the shadows where he knew Lord Zedd hid. "And one day, I am going to cut your heart out."

A whoosh of air brought his eyes open, and he realized he was now standing in Angel Grove park all alone. Night had fallen, signaling he'd been gone for hours. His heart still raced, while the thrill of battle lived in his veins. Sighing, he began the long walk home as Lord Zedd's voice faded away with one last parting shot.

 _'We shall see, Tommy Oliver. We shall see.'_

* * *

 **Angel Grove Youth Center  
Friday, September: Week 2  
9:00 p.m.**

  


"What happened to you?" Katherine asked lightly, leaning against the wall after discovering Tommy sneaking out of the Youth Center men's showers stall. Finishing up her part-time evening job of cleaning up the place, she found the White Ranger emotionally shaken, appearing worn down, as if he'd been through ten shades of hell. When she called out his name he avoided her gaze, appearing agitated and he didn't reply. But she wasn't one to give up so easily. "You don't look like you were here for a late night work out. Spill or I start calling the others."

Frustrated by her presence, Tommy swiped a white towel over his face, collecting the last of the moisture following his hot shower. After today's grueling battle he wasn't in the mood for anything other than sleep… not that he'd enjoyed much of that in recent days. "Let it go, Kat," he warned as he walked by.

She tugged at his forearm, drawing his attention. "I'm not going to just pretend you don't look like you've been in a war tonight," the still-in-training alternate Ranger clearly stated. She marched right up to him, nearly tall enough to look him dead in the eyes. "I don't have a horse in this race," she eloquently noted concerning his breakup with Kim. "But I do care about all of you. I'd like to get to know you better. And maybe tonight you just need an ear. But if you won't talk I will get everyone to talk to you. So you better decide here and now. It's them or me."

She was feisty, he'd give her that. And not above manipulation either. Tommy groaned menacingly, and then threw in the towel. "I don't want to talk to anyone else tonight."

She tried to not let her tiny victory evolve into a smile. "So you'll talk to me?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No. Not even a little." He almost gave her a grin, and she felt good about earning at least a little respect in his eyes. She wasn't a pushover… no matter how gorgeous he was. He wasn't on her romantic radar for a host of reasons. Still didn't mean he wasn't nice to look at.

They walked over to an empty table in the corner, with Tommy straddling a chair from behind while Kat sat across from him. She felt the tension lifting off him in waves and he appeared vastly uneasy. She was worried about him. And with him being the leader of the Rangers, a polarizing figure some either loved or hated, and currently in the center of a gigantic personal mess of his own making, she found him far too… interesting.

A tiny bit handsome too.

Unable to play the game of drawing things out, Tommy dove right in without a care. "Somehow, and this shouldn't even be possible given our technology, Lord Zedd was able to abduct me this afternoon. He took me to a place called the Dark Dimension." He knew Billy was bringing her up to speed on Lord Zedd and how he operated. "I was… he was testing me. I ended up fighting for my life, and after a while I refused to give him what he wanted. Then he just let me go," he finished with a faraway glint in his eyes.

Whatever was she getting herself into in becoming an alternate Ranger? Nonetheless, Katherine's interest was piqued. "How was he testing you and what did he want?"

Her pretty blue eyes showed genuine concern, something he wasn't used to from a girl these days. Then again, he didn't exactly deserve it, either. "It's not a secret that I enjoy a good fight every now and then. But mostly in martial arts competitions. As far as the Rangering goes, it's a part of life. We kill the bad guys or they will kill us. No exceptions. But today the fighting was… different- far more brutal… and Zedd tried to recruit me." He didn't find surprise in her expression. But she was listening intently as he continued. "Zedd tried to make me believe Kim and Adam were having an affair." Her initial absolute shock was followed by a calm he wasn't sure he liked. Did she know something he didn't? "Zedd wanted me to kill Adam and join him. He wanted me to walk away from my entire life, Earth… my family… _everything_ and just serve him. He told me I didn't have to care anymore about what I did or what anyone thought. I could just have what I wanted and fuck everyone else."

With a hint of a darker tone he declared, "Lord Zedd gave me permission to not care."

She watched him closely, noting every nuance as if she were dissecting something on an operating table. Having heard so many varying opinions on him as of late, she was pleased to be able to judge him based on getting to know him herself. He was anything but simple. Powerful. Complex. Lonely. Selfish. Brave. Angry. "Were you tempted?"

Blinking, he hated to admit, "Yes," but he did. He wasn't quite sure why, since he didn't know her all that well. But she was here and at least listening to him vent. She even seemed to understand that he needed that. She had a warm spirit about her. "The woman I love with all my heart hates me and half my friends think I'm garbage. On top of that, my leadership of the Rangers will be re-assessed in a few weeks seeing as how a good section of my team no longer trusts me. My guy buds aren't nearly as happy or pleased with me as anyone thinks and my mom is very disappointed in me. My dad, too. So I'm not in the best frame of mind."

Judgment didn't live in her eyes. "No one's perfect, Tommy. You're allowed a stray bad thought."

"Of course, I would never join with Lord Zedd to hurt people on purpose. But sometimes it-"

"-would be nice to not care about anything at all," she finished softly. Her statement hung thick in the air between them as their gazes met. "When Rita had me under her spell… I remember everything I said and did. I hate how I almost killed Kim and hurt other people. But I also remember how it felt to not care about anything but what I wanted." At the time she wanted him in a warped, obsessive way that made little sense to her now. But touching the darkness left a mark. Stained her somehow, no doubt about it. "So he tested you and you passed."

"…barely," Tommy confided as he arched his neck. "For a moment there, I-" He shook his head at the lunacy of his life. "I'm not in a good place right now, Kat. I'm just… everything's such a mess and it's my fault. My selfishness broke Kim's heart and now other friendships and relationships are all screwed up. I can't fix any of this and I honestly don't know what to do."

"Been there… done that," Katherine noted absently, and then her eyes peered forward, meeting the surprise in his. "What? I had a life before Angel Grove."

"Kat tales, huh?" he gave a little smirk, enjoying the spotlight not being on him or once. "Regale me."

Arms crossed over her chest, she sighed and then gave a tiny shrug. "I like all of you guys," she began. "You're all… well, you _were_ such a tight knit group and even after I was evil you all took me in and forgave me. It's never easy being the new kid, much less the new kid helping the bad guys and trying to kill the good ones. Everyone was so supportive and forgiving. It's something I'll never forget. I've made some wonderful friends since I arrived here."

Long ago memories assaulted Tommy as he considered what she said. Their paths into the team certainly mirrored each other. "You ever hear about the Green Ranger?"

"There was a Green Ranger?"

"…an evil one, for a time."

Her daring smile revealed her duplicity. "Yes, I've heard the story. You tried to kill the entire team on your first day of school."

"Hell of a first impression," he recalled not-so-fondly.

"It got your foot in the door," she replied, before pushing onward. "Anyway, when I heard you cheated on Kim, I was so hurt for her and shocked that you would do something like that. It didn't seem like you at all."

All that he could do was nod. The long list of people he'd let down with his actions seemed endless. "Trust me, I know."

"Betraying someone can crush them. It's just such a terrible thing to have to go through."

The range of emotions he saw cross her face piqued his curiosity. "You've had your heart broken?"

"No, I cheated and broke his heart," she confessed as he gave a slow nod. "I was deeply in love with my boyfriend at the time. We'd been together close to three years, and…" Lost in her thoughts, she trailed off. A deep exhale later, she said, "I think I was searching for something I didn't even understand. Was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person. I blamed it on a number of things, but I was just a selfish bitch in that moment. I was stupid and I really hurt a great guy."

Now it was Tommy who was listening intently. "I still one-up you. I actually tried being sweet to Kim afterward, all the while telling myself that I just needed to find the right way to tell her the truth."

"To make matters worse, you cheated with the one girl who apparently had always hated Kim and reveled in hurting her in the worse way possible."

Tommy's head bowed as he winced, shaking his head at his own stupidity. "I should have told Kim the truth that same night I did it."

"I agree." She paused before saying, "There is no right way to tell someone you betrayed them."

"I was really a piece of scum. I don't know what I was thinking… no, honestly, I do. I was terrified 'cause I knew I was going to lose her. I was such a coward," he hated to admit.

"So was I, Tommy."

"Did you get caught or did you confess?"

"I confessed… two weeks later. And I was extra sweet and affectionate the whole time even as I was crying myself to sleep at night." Her face darkened with regret as she was taken back to those sad days. "I felt horrible, but just couldn't find the words. I know how that is. When you want to tell the truth, but you know it will hurt the person you love so much and they will leave you."

"Kim will never believe that I would have eventually told her the truth."

"I know, and I don't blame her for feeling that way. But part of me thinks the guilt would have eaten you alive."

Tommy agreed, "It still does. Every second of every day. I would do anything to have never slept with Jenny. I'm still in love with Kim, and she doesn't deserve to suffer for my mistakes."

"If I never slept with Brent I would have saved Joseph so much pain," she expressed sincerely. "I hurt him so bad, broke his heart and our trust and just… I lost three really good friends in the process. Joseph told me I was dead to him," she revealed.

Tommy wondered how close Kim was to feeling that exact same way about him, or if she already did. "Did you try to win him back? Joseph, I mean."

"I thought about it. But my mom helped me realize I wanted him to forgive me more than I wanted him back in my life. I knew my family was moving, and a long-distance high school relationship would have been very hard. But I never wanted to leave under those circumstances. I apologized to him face-to-face, and then left. I broke his heart and I'll never forgive myself for doing that. All that I can do is be a better person from now on. But Karma will catch up to me someday."

Tommy sympathized with her, but didn't feel that same way about his predicament. "I want to try and win Kim back. I know now isn't the time, though, and even if I try she may not ever take me back."

"You crossed a line you may never be able to come back from."

"I have to try," he confessed truthfully. "I love her so much. I hate myself right now, and all I can do is be a better man."

"One day at a time."

"Just be better than yesterday."

Katherine felt a connection of sorts with Tommy, as she understood a great deal of what he was feeling and dealing with right now. Neither of them condoned cheating or ever wanted to be cheated on. The person hurt deserved justice, caring, and understanding first and foremost. But for the ones who did the crime, some actually cared enough to try and make amends. There were always two sides to every story.

"So," Tommy began as he rose from the chair, ready to head home. "Are you going to tell anyone about this?"

"No, you are. Tomorrow. Being kidnapped by Lord Zedd is too big a thing to hide. Agreed?" She extended her hand, and smiled when he took hers.

No doubt, she was a stunning beauty. Not his 'Beautiful', but stunning nonetheless. "Agreed." He shook her hand, more than a little grateful to have had her ear tonight. "Thank you."

"I just listened."

"You didn't judge. I needed that, even if it was for just one night."

"You're welcome," she smiled.

"So, you need a ride home?"

"I'm not sure I want to be seen with you," she teased. "You have a bad reputation, Mr. Oliver."

He gave as good as he got. "And here I thought you were a bad kitty."

She met his snark head on. "…I can be," she snickered, walking with him toward the side door. "I'll take you up on that ride. But don't buy me a Team Tommy t-shirt."

"You're not Team Kim either," he declared rather than asked.

She didn't deny. "I like all of you. I just hope things get better. They say time heals all wounds. I hope that's true here."

"You and me both, Kat. You and me both."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jumping ahead two weeks, tempers erupt a _lot_ as people resort to various ways of coping. Soon, though, saner heads begin to prevail…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N: psyco_chick32** – A lot of people show really bad sides when they're pushed too far. It's not easy being an emotional teenager, dealing with the weight of the world, _and_ trying to navigate relationships.
> 
>  **A/N: Shawn30** – Male pride is a tricky thing to navigate.

**Angel Grove Youth Center  
Tuesday, September: Week 4  
4:00 pm**   


Kimberly was bent over backward on the beam when Aisha called her name. She wobbled at the distraction and quickly flipped to her feet before leveling a glare at her friend. "What?"

Wearing a mildly devilish smirk, Aisha nodded toward the door from where she stood at the edge of the mat. Mischief laced her voice. "Looks like you got a visitor."

Kim followed her friend's line of sight and smiled when she saw Alex chatting with Rocky. He had been a sweetheart at Homecoming – very patient, understanding when she didn't want to dance to a song that had too many memories attached, and there to make her laugh and smile. He applauded when she was crowned Homecoming Queen and joked about "escorting royalty." Even better, he made her feel special without making her feel smothered and pushed into anything. He'd even been polite to Jason, chatting lightly about karate with him when Trini dragged her boyfriend over.

Alex caught her eye then and nodded, saying good-bye to Rocky before making his way over. "Hey, how's it going?"

She smiled down at him from where she stood. "Pretty good. I'm sorry - I didn't know you were coming, or I would have wrapped up my work-out sooner."

"No problem. I'm going to go sit with Adam… he looks lonely."

Kim sighed when she recognized the same, yet another painful reminder of the ongoing state of things. "'kay." He really was a nice guy… and a good friend. Regaining her focus, she took a deep breath and launched into her dismount. Only a small bobble upon landing, to her pleasure, before she grabbed a towel and skipped up the steps. "What are you doing here?"

"Just thought I'd swing by." He'd spun a chair around and was straddling it, crossed arms resting on the back. "That was an amazing dismount." She blushed, and he chuckled. She was remarkable, and he'd only begun to grasp how deeply he felt about that. "I'd say one day Lisa might do flips like that, but she's about as tall as you are now and she's only nine, so-"

Trini and Aisha cracked up at the sour look on Kim's face. Even Adam was snickering at her expense. She shoved at his shoulder, and then playfully warned Alex, "Be nice!"

"For you, I will." That earned him a couple of cute looks around the table, though Adam rolled his eyes. And then Alex turned his head to eye where Jason, Zack, Tommy and Rocky were going over a Kata with a student. "You know, Rocky was telling me your ex has a karate tournament this weekend."

Kim shrugged nonchalantly. It wasn't like her presence was welcome.

Her mood was curious indeed, as was his sudden bravado. He wanted to impress her, or at least make her smile. "Anyway, I thought about asking him to spar a bit. Maybe see what he has."

The Rangers eyed each other, each with varying levels of surprise and uncertainty. Adam clearly thought it was a horrible idea, and Trini was wary. Aisha, though, looked ready to go don a cheer uniform and grab pom-poms.

"I dunno… he's pretty good…" Kim trailed off through clenched teeth. On one hand, Tommy could be kind of insanely competitive on even the best of days. On the other, he surely wouldn't cheat with students nearby. And she didn't want Alex's pretty face re-arranged, but the way he looked at her, like he was clearly hoping to drive home a point in his favor… well, as much as she wanted to rail against "animal-like, testosterone-driven, stupid guys" she had to admit that it made her feel a bit better to know somebody was willing to fight for her.

Tommy had once fought Zedd for her life; but none of her so-called "brothers" were willing to fight their friend no matter what he did to her. It still burned at her emotionally, aching in her chest.

"You can totally do it," Aisha encouraged, pleased with anything that might knock Tommy down a peg or two in the ego department. "Besides, Tommy's not all that great against grappling styles."

Although he was far from Tommy's biggest fan, Adam winced. This was going to end terribly. He knew the White Ranger all too well, having trained and sparred with him many, many times. No doubt Tommy would take this damn personally… and that spelled trouble.

Kim shrugged, not sure what was to come, but was curious enough to find out. "If you want to, go for it."

"I think I will." Having heard so much about Kim's ex from Adam and Aisha, Alex thought it was time to find out about Tommy face-to-face.

* * *

"James, it's repetition after repetition that will get you nailing this every time," Tommy calmly explained to his mildly dejected student. "You have half of this routine down perfectly, and eventually you will own all of it. Don't rush things. It'll come. You're putting the work into this that makes me proud. Just keep at it."

Having not had his best day of practice, James nodded while wiping his face with a towel. He felt better after his latest attempt and his teacher's vote of confidence. He was thankful for his teacher's patience. "Thanks, Tommy. I gotta get started on my homework. Can we pick up Thursday afternoon?"

"Not a problem." Tommy hi-fived his student, and then watched him walk away before someone new entered his line of sight. Alex, Kim's date to the Homecoming dance was walking toward him for some strange reason. Zack, Jason, and Rocky joined him as Alex reached him.

"Tommy, right?"

When Alex extended his hand, Tommy was more than a bit surprised. Nonetheless, he shook it. "Yeah."

"Hey, Rocky. Jason," Alex nodded at the former Red Ranger, who did the same. No real sense of friendliness here, but he'd expected as much. "Zack, right?"

"'Sup, man?" Zack replied.

"Nothing really, except… I was wondering if Tommy might wanna spar?" Alex dove right into the lion's den. "My discipline is Jujitsu. Word is you're a really talented teacher and martial artist. Thought I might see where I stack up these days."

Tommy's arms crossed as his brows narrowed and jaw tightened. It was enough that he had to stand here and eat his anger at this guy obviously mooning over Kim just ten feet away. Every time he made her laugh it was like a knife wound. But he had to the nerve come here, in Tommy's "house" of all places, and challenge him? The White Ranger exhaled deeply, not caring if Alex was good or not. He was going to regret trying to score points with Kim by coming after him. "Sure, why not. To seven points. I'll give you five minutes."

Alex smiled, and then glanced back at Kim's table where everybody was watching closely. "Cool, just let me change. See ya on the mats."

Rocky shook his head, and saw Adam doing the same. Oh, this had the potential to be bad. Really, really bad. "He's good. Really into grappling styles. He's not a pushover."

"Yeah, but this is some BS," Zack noted. "It's obvious what he's doing. Why not ask Jason or you or Adam? He's just trying to make a point in front of Kim. Did you see when he looked back at her?"

"Saw it all." Leaning back against a banister, Jason asked, "What do you think, bro?"

Tommy craned his neck, and then boldly declared, "Somebody better call 9-1-1."

* * *

What began as a routine sparring match soon evolved into a spectator scene; nearly the entire Youth Center stopped what they were doing to watch two very talented martial artists go at it. The breakneck pace of their fighting grabbed everyone's attention and refused to let go.

But the underlying storylines were obvious to anyone who attended Angel Grove High. Kim's new guy was going against her ex in a fast and furious way that surprisingly saw Alex up on Tommy 5-4. The new guy was quick and unafraid of his slightly taller opponent, having executed back-to-back take-down moves that scored to rousing applause. Even Bulk and Skull were watching intently.

Achy from that last take-down, and now very aware of the attention and noise of the fast-growing crowd around them, Tommy rose back to his feet, glaring. Maybe he'd taken this guy too lightly. Maybe he hated how bitterly Kim looked at him, or how loudly Aisha cheered. Whatever it was, he was agitated and growing more so by the second. "Ready?"

Alex stood back on the mat, shifting into his preferred stance. "Ready."

Three seconds later "Ooohs" and "Ahhhs" rang out when Tommy floored Alex with a blazing leg-sweep, using his superior length and Alex's need to get close. The score was now tied 5-5 and the crowd was amped, cheering every maneuver.

"Good move," Alex noted as he faced his opponent. Tommy didn't reply, eying him closely. Two points from victory, Alex threw a tiny smile at Kim; when she returned it he wanted to win that much more. He wasn't trying to show Tommy up, but he did think he was a fool to ever lose Kim. He certainly wasn't going to back down from a challenge. "Ready?"

"Always."

Seeking the element of surprise, Alex went at Tommy hard and fast, throwing aside his grappling style to catch Tommy off guard and looking for it. After an aggressive exchange of frantic punches and kicks, he caught Tommy looking for a hold and leveled him with a solid straight kick to his chest, scoring point number six. One way from winning. He pumped his fist, and then caught himself from over-reacting. He hadn't won yet. But when Alex extended his hand to Tommy to help his opponent up, he found it swatted away.

This was what Jason feared, that look in Tommy's eyes… that fire that was as much skill as it as pride, and with Kim herself cheering for Alex, the former Red Ranger worried things were about to take a turn for the worse. He looked to Zack, who recognized the same thing.

Alex watched Tommy rise from the floor, and all signs of a friendly but spirited sparring match were done. But if he wanted to be an ass, so be it. Alex assumed his fighting stance. "Ready."

There were no words for this as Tommy stalked forward, pressing his length and speed in a way that gave Alex zero opening save for blocking. He was agile and understood how to fight, but he was fast on his heels. The wildly frenetic attacks he fended off were taking their toll and he had no time for a counter-attack.

A hush suddenly fell over the entire crows when Tommy launched into the air, executing a wicked roundhouse kick that connected with the side of Alex's face, nearly spiraling the young man in mid-air.

When Kim and Aisha ran over to him, he politely shooed them away. Holding his jaw while seated on his knees, Alex glared at Tommy. "Are we sparring or fighting?"

"There's a difference?"

Alex gave an angry nod, pridefully standing to his feet even as Kim looked very worried. Her ex had the nerve to appear angry even after that cheap shot. "Let's go."

"You sure you're okay?"

Feeling a bit winded, with the bells in his head still ringing, Alex sought to compose himself. Despite the close score he looked far worse for wear than his opponent. Tommy wasn't even breathing heavy. "Giving up isn't in my vocabulary."

Tommy gave a small smile. "Famous last words."

They circled each other, with Alex searching for an opening to attack. Instead he found himself on the defensive once more, parrying and ducking an awesome array of kicks and lunging punches that were a level higher than the competition he was used to. He felt over-matched, but gave it his all, seizing the moment as he met Tommy head-on.

They battled furiously, but Tommy knew when he had an opponent on the ropes. He launched for another roundhouse kick that Alex successfully ducked, and then caught Alex's right arm punching forward, swung around and took Alex to the floor in an arm-lock. He applied pressure as the Youth Center roared.

He hated to do it, but there was no way out of this hold and Tommy had it locked in tight. Alex angrily lifted two fingers, grunting, "I yield."

Point and match to Tommy. He released Alex, standing over him while glaring down. He wasn't a fan of this side of himself, but he enjoyed the battle and the victory. This was his "House." Period, end of story and no one coming in here was going to change that. Especially no jerk going after his Beau-

But then his eyes connected with James and four of his other young students. Suddenly his heart dropped as he'd shown such unsportsmanlike conduct in this match and they'd seen it all. The teacher in him felt horribly guilty, and he knew he'd have to talk to them and fess up about how he acted and didn't want them to be that way. He was gonna be a hypocrite, but he had to make this right.

"Here, man," Tommy extended his hand. Despite earlier, Alex took it as he helped him off the floor. "Sorry about the kick. It wasn't cool and if you want to dock me a point and go at it again, I'm fine with that."

Alex stumbled a bit, gathering his wits about him. His motives for wanting to spar were no better than Tommy's for wanting to win no matter what. He gave a half-grin. He'd almost like this guy if they both didn't like the same girl. "You won; it's no issue. You're damn good."

"So are you," Tommy replied with Jason and Zack flanking him.

He watched as Kim came to stand by Alex's side. His heart sank as, noting the faint bruise on Alex's cheek, Kim rose up and pressed a light kiss there. "You did great," she smiled, not sparing a glance at Tommy. "Come on; let me buy you a Smoothie."

Waving to Tommy and the guys, Alex walked off with Kim. "Sounds like a plan. Can I get an ice pack with that, too?"

Tommy heard their playful banter as they walked off. He wondered if he'd ever had a victory before that felt so hollow. "Ever win, but still feel like you lost?"

Jason nodded, "Yep. But let's deal with our students first. You got a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

 **Angel Grove High School  
Wednesday, September: Week 4  
3:30 p.m.**

The sniping at each other had now reached epic proportions.

Tommy and Aisha were all alone in the huge detention room after a full-blown classroom argument gave the whole school plenty to buzz about during their third period Biology class. Having been partnered together for a project, it was doomed as soon as they started. There was genuine animosity growing between them and now they were stuck with each other for the next ninety minutes with nowhere to escape from each other.

Tapping a pen on the desk as much to annoy her detention-mate as to alleviate boredom, Aisha said, "This is your fault… _again_."

Tommy scowled, exhaling a deep breath. "According to you, everything is my fault. That's bullshit, but if it's what you have to tell yourself, then so be it."

Aisha slammed her notebook shut, slowly shaking her head. "We _used_ to be friends, past tense. I _used_ to like you so much, past tense. And I trusted you… again, past tense. We don't get along now because ripped my best friend's heart out and took a piss on it when you fucked Jenny. So yes, all of this – including how I can barely stand the sight of you – is your fault."

His headache got worse. "Cheating on Kim is a horrible mistake I made and I will always regret that. But being a bitch to me and the guys weeks after everything happened is all on you. Take a look in the mirror. You're not innocent here, either."

"I never claimed to be innocent," Aisha declared angrily. "But you weren't there all those nights when Kimberly was crying herself to sleep. Or the nights when she just couldn't sleep. Or the weekends when she didn't want to do anything or go anywhere. We could barely make her eat, she was so depressed. So forgive me for being a bitch to the guy who hurt her and the Good Ole Boys club that still supports him."

Tommy absolutely hated hearing how badly Kim was grieving. If only this were all a bad dream. "You can hate me all that you want, but I have a right to have friends, too. And the guys all love Kimberly. They were there for her long before you and I were around. If you ever got your head out of your own ass you might see that treating them like dirt and keeping them away from Kim isn't helping her."

"What would have helped her," Aisha noted softly, "is for you to have never cheated."

"I agree. I wish I could take it all back, but I can't. I hate myself for hurting her and I miss her every single day! I'd do anything for none of this to have happened."

"Were you missing her when you fucked Jenny? I'd like to know because I'm not clear on that point."

It would always come down to that, and Tommy accepted it. This was his cross to bear. But fixing things with Aisha seemed an impossible mission, and he didn't like her right now any more than she liked him. "You'll never know how sorry I am for that night."

Aisha glared, "I don't give a flying fuck how sorry you are!"

"Then at least care for Kim," Tommy fired back loudly. "Like I said, you can hate me all you want. But defending Kim against her brothers instead of encouraging her to at least hear them out and talk to them isn't right either. They may not have thrown me to the wolves, but none of them like what I did or even like me all that much right now. They all love and miss Kim deeply. They'd like to explain where they stand in their own words and you could help with that. But instead you seek to bitch the world out rather than truly help her. You're not a part of the solution; you're a part of the problem."

"You have some nerve," she began venomously. "Newsflash, I'm not running Kim's life. She doesn't speak to the guys because she doesn't want to. I've never told her not to. For the record, she talks to Billy at least every day… and Adam is always around her these days." Tommy's gaze darkened instantly. Oh, so the mention of the Black Ranger struck a nerve. Aisha intended to tap dance on that nerve. "Adam is usually at my house until he has to go home. Me and him and Kim watch movies and talk and try to keep my girl's spirits up. Sometimes when I fall asleep they talk for hours on the back porch… all alone."

He swallowed hard, knowing Aisha was dangling bait in front of him. He didn't bite, though even ghosting over the possibility of Adam and Kim growing closer… _intimately_ closer made his stomach clench violently. Jealous rage was being held back by a thread. "You think you're helping, but you're not. Just think about encouraging Kim to hear Zack, Jason, and Rocky out. They miss and love her dearly. That's all I'm saying."

"Poor Tommy, thinking only of Kim now when you should have been thinking of her before you stuck your dick in another girl."

"I'm not asking for anything for myself. I know I don't deserve it."

"You need to quit acting like you're the victim."

"And you need to quit acting like the only right way is your way," Tommy all but shouted angrily at her. "Pointing the finger at me is fine, but everyone _knows_ I'm guilty. Those guys love her just as much as you do. They shouldn't be treated badly over who they choose to hang with and who not to, just because they have their own opinions."

Aisha was seething. "And yet you act like Adam is a piece of garbage for standing up to you."

"I don't hate Adam for standing up for Kim. I don't hate Adam at all. I felt as his friend and teammate I deserved at least his support as team leader. But whatever, I don't talk about him behind his back and would never tell the guys they can't be friends with him or anything."

"Yeah, well, they all follow your lead."

"They are their own people and you'd know that if you shut the fuck up for five minutes and listened to them," Tommy lashed out. "Don't blame them for what I did… and at least encourage Kim to hear them out. They miss her and want to be there for her. I'm not asking anything for me; I'm asking for them."

"What makes you think you know what's best for Kimberly? You're the one who broke her heart."

Tommy took a deep breath as yelling at each other wasn't fixing a damn thing. "…I guess I'm just trying to not take more people out of her life. I know how she feels about me. Trust me, I know. But those guys have been like brothers to her for years. They're worried about her and miss her. At least encourage Kimberly to talk to them one time."

"I'll consider asking Adam or Alex to talk to her," Aisha replied while looking away, hoping the point drove home… straight to his gut like a sucker punch. "Adam especially has plenty of sway with her these days. Always making her laugh…"

"Laughter is a wonderful thing. Terri just loved Rocky's sense of humor on their date last night." It felt good to watch her expression fall, though he hated himself at the same time. "Of course, he's going to have to wait for a second date. He came home so late he got into trouble with his Dad. But he told me it was worth it."

There was no way in hell Aisha was going to let him see her cry, but learning that Rocky had gone out on a date when they were so close to finally admitting… she felt so sad and hurt. She rarely said a word to him lately. She knew their friendship would survive this, somehow. But apparently he got tired of waiting. "Did you enjoy telling me that?"

"No more than you enjoyed telling me how close Adam and Kim are."

"You are the reason for all of this bad blood between the team."

"I might have been the catalyst, but everyone else is making their own bed. At least I am trying to get people to talk to each other rather than holding grudges."

"Doctor, take thy own medicine. How about you talk to Adam?"

Tommy's jaw ticked hard as he glanced away. "How about we stop talking. I'm as sick of your voice as you are of mine."

"I doubt that."

Nonetheless, silence reigned as they endured the rest of their detention without uttering so much as one word to each other. But both were broken-hearted on the inside. Both hated that things between them had changed so drastically for the worse.

Neither thought there was any hope at all of ever becoming friends again.

* * *

 **Angel Grove High School  
Thursday, September: Week 4  
2:55 p.m.**

Jason sighed and hiked his backpack up his shoulder.

It had been a really long day… hell, a long _month_. Trini was still being cold to him, especially when she was around the girls. Aisha's temper had taken a turn for the worse for some reason and wouldn't even deign to speak to him, outside of glaring at him when he greeted Kim in the hall that morning. Kim had barely looked at him when she said, "Good morning" and he had quickly gone on his way. He couldn't force things… even if deep inside, he wanted to grab her by the shoulders, shake her, beg her to just talk to him and let him explain where he was coming from so everything could go back to normal.

"Oh, stop deluding yourself!"

Was that Kim? Looking up, Jason saw a group of students gathering in the entryway, chattering excitedly. He broke into a jog, eyes catching Zack as he came down another hall.

"Is it really a surprise that any man would prefer to be with somebody more developed than a middle schooler after three years?" Jenny's voice echoed in the stairwell over the general noise of the students preparing to leave school, and Jason put on a burst of speed as Kim's response rang out.

"Does it hurt to know you can't keep a man past twelve hours?"

"You're just jealous because you're a prudish little virgin."

Jason jumped down the last three stairs, looking over the heads of other students to where Kim and Jenny were facing off. The look on Kim's face – a mixture of venomous hatred and wicked pleasure – shocked him for a moment. His jaw dropped when Kim responded.

"Jealous? Oh, you caught me. I always wanted to be a filthy, needy slut. I guess I just hide it better since it's taken this long for somebody to catch on."

Laughter echoed from the popular girls gathered on one side of the mob. Jenny's mouth twitched into a frown before she lifted her chin. "Looks like somebody's showing off her bitchy side. Maybe you're not the good little girl you think you are."

Behind Kim, Aisha moved to step forward; Trini shook her head as Kim shot back, "Better than you flashing your tits around all the time."

"Oh, damn," Rocky muttered from next to Jason. He wondered when the Red Ranger had arrived. On his other side, Tommy was gazing at Kimberly with a mix of shock and amusement.

"You act like you're better than me, but when it comes down to it, I fucked your boyfriend before you could. You thought your relationship was so pure and precious," Jenny sneered, "but I made him a man."

Jason wondered what Tommy was thinking about this dirty laundry being aired in public, but he couldn't take his eyes off Kim. Having known her for roughly forever, he knew she was quickly reaching the breaking point.

"Yeah, and it made you that much more a whore that fucks other girl's boyfriends since you can't get your own. So congratulations on adding another notch to your bedpost," Kim deadpanned.

Jenny was visibly shaking with anger. "You're just pissed because guys want a real woman like me instead of somebody who looks like they haven't hit puberty yet."

Kim stepped forward, getting into Jenny's face. "You think you're in some sort of demand, but the boys pass you around like a hot potato and joke about it afterward. You have sex like it's going out of style, but I have class and friends." Kim's face contorted with a vicious sneer. "I'm a virgin, but I'm a person with self-respect. You're just a pussy with legs and bad fashion sense."

What seemed like the entirety of the student body gasped when Jenny tensed… and slapped Kim across the face.

Kim reacted faster than anybody else; with one crack, Jenny was on her back, blood streaming from her nose. Kat and Adam darted from behind Trini and each grabbed one of Kim's arms, tugging her through the crowd. She was clearly protesting.

Trini spun to follow them, shaking her head at the lunacy of it all. Jason began to push his way through to her as Aisha looked down at Jenny.

"You got off lucky. Leave her the hell alone or you'll be dealing with me, too."

Sighing at just how far out of control everything had gotten, Jason grabbed Trini by the arm before she could escape. "How the hell could you let her do that?"

"It's been coming for a while, Jase," Trini said slowly, as though she were talking to a kindergartener. "Jenny's been rubbing what happened with Tommy in Kim's face since this all began. It's been a month, and frankly, I'm surprised it took Kim this long to snap." She sighed. "I didn't expect her to hit Jenny, but I'm not surprised she retaliated. I would never encourage violence… but it's Kim's right to protect herself." She tugged her arm free. "Now, I have to go make sure she's okay."

Jason ran a hand down his face. _'Great. Just great.'_

* * *

 **Angel Grove Park  
Thursday, September: Week 4  
2:55 p.m.**

Adam and Kim meandered through the trees quietly, wandering various paths and moving away from the more populated areas of the park.

Kim sighed. The explosive blow-up in the hallway – the sight of Jenny flat on her ass on the floor – hovered triumphantly in her mind. After so many days of being needled, of reliving her confrontation with Tommy, of searching for answers she _still_ didn't have, it felt so good to lash out.

To finally hurt somebody else instead of the other way around.

Adam stared at Kim out of the corner of his eye. He had a very important reason to drag her out away from prying eyes and ears, but he wasn't sure how to start. He'd never been the best with girls, and even his time around them lately hadn't taught him a whole lot. But from day one, Kim had been taking hit after emotional hit. During the battle right after Tommy's betrayal, inside the Command Center afterward, and even in the hours after she finally questioned Tommy, she'd begun to crack – vicious anger seeping through her armor of pain.

Luckily for him, she broke the silence first. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not… yelling at me. Or saying anything about what I did." Kim rolled her shoulders and pushed a stray hair behind her ear. "I know Trini will lecture me eventually. And if I were on speaking terms with Jason, he'd bitch me out until he was blue in the face."

Adam shrugged as he ushered her through a break in the trees. "It's not really my place to tell you how to handle things."

"You always tell your karate students that they shouldn't resort to violence."

"You're my friend, not my student."

Kim shrugged at that and looked around. It was an isolated part of the park she hadn't been to in a while – her walks with Tommy generally revolved around the pond, the benches and the like, or where the Rangers often had their picnics in the more-frequented sections. "What are we doing out here?"

"I thought we might resort to a little more violence," Adam smirked.

Kim blinked. "What?"

"Oh, come on. You broke Jenny's nose."

"You don't know that. She could be fine."

Adam rolled his eyes. "With the way she was bleeding? The fact that you hit her dead on? And I would bet my bottom dollar that you used at least a little Pink Ranger power in that hit."

Kim blushed. "I didn't mean to. I was just so _mad_ -"

"Exactly!" Adam took a stance across from her. "So hit me."

Kim crossed her arms defiantly. "I don't want to hit you! Trust me, on the list of people I wish I could squish with a Megazord, you are so far on the bottom you aren't even on the list."

Another eyeroll. "Kim, you have to work out some of this aggression before you pick a fight and get thrown in detention or worse. We're in an area where not a lot of people go, where you can let loose." He reached out and shoved at her shoulder, knocking her off-balance. "C'mon. If you keep bottling stuff up inside, you're going to explode."

Kim flopped to the ground, refusing to take part. "I'm not a guy, Adam. Hitting things doesn't make everything better. And we all saw how well that went between Alex and Tommy." Thinking of that filled her with politically incorrect warm fuzzies. Seeing Tommy hit the ground those six times was almost as great as hitting Jenny. The fact that Alex did it to kind of show off to her almost made it better, despite her eye-rolling at the macho-man Alpha Male act.

Adam sighed and sat across from her. "Fine, fine." Well, there went that idea.

They sat in silence, a cool breeze bringing goosebumps to Kim's exposed arms. She shivered, and he took off his sweater to hand it to her.

"I hate Jenny."

A common refrain – second verse same as the first – from a betrayed woman, Adam nodded. Entwining his fingers behind his head, he lay back on the grass. "Duh."

"If you and Kat hadn't jumped in, I would have beaten her ass into a coma," she declared. "And I wouldn't have felt guilty about it at all. I have always been the good girl, saving the world and leading the class and _not_ falling for evil spells, unlike other people I could name."

"You're a good person."

"So being a little bad once in a while is okay, right? Nobody can be good all the time." She sighed, abruptly adding, "I deserve better than Tommy." Her voice, though, held a barely-there tremble that demonstrated her bravado was all for show.

"You do, but you still care for him." Adam stared at the sky. "I'd go so far as to say you probably still love him, for all Aisha and I want to pound him into little pieces."

Kim threw a handful of grass at him. "I do not!"

"Don't lie to me."

He still wasn't looking at her, and it was driving her insane. "I'm not! He's so fucking… he _never_ gave me any answers," she pointed out. "Not once. I have no idea what's going on or why he did what he did and his 'oh, I was just selfish and made a mistake' crap is so old." Her voice was growing louder as she was slowly losing the tenuous control over her emotions.

"What did you want him to say?" Adam prompted.

"I wanted a _reason_!"

Adam shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't have one."

"That doesn't make any sense!" Kim stood up, stepping over Adam and stalking toward the tree line. Her voice grew louder as she walked away, though whether it was in anger or so she'd be heard, he wasn't sure. "There's always a reason! He tries to kill us? Oh, Rita caused that. Kat steals my Power Coin? Rita again. My attitude toward men? My jerk dad and now my scumbag ex!"

She whirled and began storming back. "Jason and Zack are dickheads, and that doesn't make any sense, either. They were _my_ brothers first. Mine! And they keep hanging out with him like it doesn't even matter. Then they have the freakin' balls to keep wandering up to me, looking all disappointed when I don't want to listen to their shit? What the hell is up with that?"

Adam bit his tongue as her rage continued. "And here you are spending the day with me, when you _should_ be hanging out with them, but noooo you actually have some freakin' morals and they're treating you like crap because of it." She skidded to a halt and looked at him. "I'm so, so sorry."

He pushed himself up. "About what?"

"It's my fault they're ignoring you!"

Oh, that. "It is not. It's theirs. And kind of mine, because I made the decision to stick by you even when I knew they'd be mad at me. I'd do the same thing again if I had to."

Kim sniffled. "You're a sweetheart."

"You need people to support you. So here I am." He opened his arms to her and she gravitated into his embrace.

"Hmmm… I caused so many problems." Adam's arms tightened. Trini had warned him that she may start blaming herself, but it hurt to hear it. "Tommy refused to say it… but I'm sure there was something I could have done to keep him from cheating. Then none of this would have happened."

Adam growled. "Tommy is a piece of shit who fucked up and deserves everything he gets and more." Truthfully, he knew as well as Kim did that Tommy felt guilty as hell. But he probably believed it more than her. Still, listening to her now made him wish for a Tommy Oliver voodoo doll and a hammer. "You are innocent, did nothing wrong, and are free to do what you want."

After a moment, Kim sighed against Adam's shoulder. "I don't want to lose my powers."

"…why would you?" He looked down into a bush of brown hair. "That's stupid."

She finally pulled back. "Is it?" She stared him down seriously. "Zordon said we'd 're-visit the situation' when our emotions calmed down a bit. Emotions? That was clearly aimed at me and Aisha and maybe even Trini. We were the ones who were so upset. Tommy was all Mr.-Calm-and-Collected. Why would _he_ lose his coin?"

"Because he's the one who screwed up. Majority rules."

Kim snorted. "Not on this team." It was hard for her to admit, "Tommy's powers are too strong for Zordon to just give them away. I'm replaceable… after all, they're training Kat in case she needs to take my place."

"We're training Kat in case she has to take anybody's place," he corrected. "Aisha could get hurt-"

"And Trini would step in," Kim interrupted. "There's Zack and Jason for any of you guys but obviously Trini would fill in for Aisha first."

Adam sighed. "We're not going to replace you. Besides, you're irreplaceable."

"That was really corny."

"It's true!"

"Yeah, about you being corny."

Sometimes he wanted to shake some sense into her. Or shake the crazy out. "You're weird." But he adored her nonetheless. "Do you feel better now?"

"…no."

And other times, he wanted to slam his head against the wall. Or in this case, a tree.

She beat him to asking what was wrong. "I'm confused. There's so much going on and it's like I never have some time to just figure it out. I'm sad because what Tommy did really hurt. I'm pissed for the same reason, and because Jason is a lying asshole. I-I feel guilty. Because Trini's relationship with Jason is weird now, and because Aisha and Rocky were so close and now they won't even give each other a second look. And you and Rocky don't get to hang out anymore. And the team is all screwed up and then I feel stupid because I logically know it isn't my fault but I still feel like it is!"

He gave her another hug, unsure of what to do or say. This wasn't a monster he could fight or a puzzle he could solve. He could only reassure her and hope she began to understand. "Rocky and I are fine," he settled on. "None of this is your fault, as hard as it is to believe. And one day, you'll believe that."

"Maybe." She didn't sound so sure.

"Definitely. You're too smart to keep thinking something so wrong."

Kim shrugged, but was buoyed a bit by the optimism in his voice. Maybe he was right… and maybe, one day, everything would be okay again.

* * *

 **Angel Grove Youth Center  
Friday, September: Week 4  
5:55 p.m.**

Jason sat at a table across from his girlfriend and waited. The last time they'd been in this position, she'd thrown a drink in his face. But it had been a few weeks, and they'd had a fun time at Homecoming, and both agreed that it was high time something be done about the Rangers.

Things were spiraling out of control. Kim hitting Jenny; Tommy's fight with Alex; Aisha reportedly came back from detention plotting new ways to launch Tommy into the sun, though Trini wouldn't elaborate on why.

Still, they agreed to discuss this like the adults they were.

"Jason, I just don't understand," she began. Better to jump into it, since they both understood where they were at. "The one thing that you guys are punishing Adam for is the one thing Kim had hoped for from you, of all people: support. Absolute, undying support – regardless of what the guys would think of you." Trini sighed. "She doesn't understand what she did wrong to make Tommy cheat – before you say anything, yes, she's begun blaming herself for that… and she doesn't understand what she did that could have made you turn your back on her when she needed you most."

"None of us have turned our backs on her," Jason fired back. "We've tried everything to talk to her… calling, trying to see her at school, trying to see her at Aisha's. She won't have anything to do with us, not even to let us explain where we stand." He was appalled by his girlfriend's words. "How could you say we wouldn't support her? I would do anything for Kim."

"Except support her over Tommy," Trini said softly. "And given the way you boys have treated Adam recently, Kim thinks you're not sticking up for her because you treasure Tommy's friendship more than hers."

Jason ran a hand through his hair. "C'mon, Trini. It's not about sides at all. Tommy fucked up. We all know it. But Tommy is my best friend, and believe it or not, he's suffering, too. I'm not going to just throw him away for making a huge mistake after he's been such a good friend to me over the years. This is about trying to be there for both of them, and I can't help that Tommy at least wants my support."

Jason's shoulders slumped, and then looked Trini in the eyes. He hated how this was interfering with what they had found between them. "As for Adam, it's… complicated. Everybody can make their own choices, and I would never insult him or threaten him. But… it's a guy thing, okay? You stand by your bros through thick and thin. He didn't. I don't hate him, but I want guys around me that have my back and will kick my ass if I need it, but then extend me a hand to help me get back up."

Trini stared at him with an expression akin to awe. Jason wondered if he'd finally gotten through to her. She slowly shook her head… then, with the back of her hand she smacked the back of Jason's head repeatedly. "That is the most ridiculous, truly hypocritical crap I have ever heard!"

Jason glared at her, rubbing away the sting on the back of his head. "Violence isn't helping."

"You don't understand at all, do you?" Trini asked, aghast. "You want to know why Kim thinks you've turned your backs on her? Because you're doing just that to the one guy who did stick with her! She's in so much pain from what Tommy did, from you guys, and because on top of all that, she thinks she's the reason you guys are ignoring Adam!"

"I can't undo what Tommy did."

She looked so very disappointed in him. "I'm not talking about Tommy right now, Jase. We're talking about you. You have been Kim's friend since childhood. You should have told Kimberly the night he confessed to you… or made him do it right away. But no, you chose him over truth. You chose him over what was right."

"I thought he was going to tell her sooner," Jason admitted, though he knew it was too late. "Trust me, I hate that he did this. But it happened. And I have tried to reach Kim and explain and listen and be there for her. I want to do all those things, but I am not going to abandon Tommy because as much as none of you may care he is suffering too and genuinely sorry."

"Pardon my French, but fuck Tommy," Trini declared boldly.

"Yeah, well, I can't see it that way."

Trini took a deep breath. "Jason, I just want you to understand is why Kim won't talk to you. Why are you treating Adam like crap when he isn't the bad guy here? Maybe he didn't blindly support 'Man-Law' like you all did," she said sarcastically, complete with finger quotes, "but he stood by Kim and that makes him a hero in my eyes." She pointed at him. "You were her big brother and she trusted you would always have her back, especially when she was hurting."

His throat closed tightly as he listened. Everything had been coming out proudly, loudly and angrily and… and then Trini spoke eloquently and with purpose.

"Jason, what you and the guys are doing to Adam is wrong. You act as if it doesn't matter that he has been there for Kim or that he misses you guys and has feelings, too. He's been Tommy's good friend for years, as well. Tommy betrayed Kim in the worst possible way, and now there's open war with everyone yelling and arguing, but no one talking. Kim loves you, but right now you are shunning the guy who has supported her since this tragedy began, all the while remaining loyal to the guy who broke her heart. Can't you see how that might look to her?"

Jason shut his eyes. "Am I supposed to dissolve my friendship with Tommy? Is that what you want?"

"No! As angry as I am with him, he's human and he needs you. Not to mention that I never, ever want to force you to do something you don't want to. But Kim deserves one hell of an apology from you… and so does Adam. Doing those things does not betray Tommy, who owes them as well. It's just the right thing to do." She walked around the table to him, laying her hand over his heart. He infuriated her, but she loved him. "This is about being a good person. If standing by Tommy is something you feel you need to do, then do it. But how you do it, and how you treat Kim and everyone else… all of it matters. But I know you will do the right thing. I know you and I love you."

She left him all alone to think. To ponder, consider… and maybe call a meeting with the guys. Had they truly fucked up this bad?

"Dammit," he swore under his breath.

Because he knew the answer was yes.

* * *

 **Angel Grove Park  
Friday, September: Week 4  
10:58 p.m.**

With the heavens raining down upon him, Tommy's strikes were precise.

Powerful.

Deadly.

Dark intensity lived within every blow, raging ever stronger at any target he saw fit. Thunder crackled the sky above, seemingly lending added force to his fists as he beat upon the tree-mounted posts. His shirt clung to him like a second skin, soaked clean through.

Nothing was normal for him anymore as yet again he needed this. Sleep was for lesser men… or perhaps those that deserved it. Not him. Not anymore. Since peace fled his life, so did rest and his dearest love. All that was remained was a single-minded thought process.

Be the perfect Ranger… because he was so far from a perfect man.

Tommy felt faster these days. The sheer force behind his attacks was honed by hours of pushing himself to exhaustion and beyond… training until he could collapse in bed with nothing more left to give. Then he wouldn't have to deal with the horrible guilt and nightmares he couldn't control. His martial arts abilities were an element he could control, could continue to build, could affect with his will alone.

None of it filled the planet-sized crater in his soul left after Kimberly ended their relationship. It felt as if whatever good there was in him left when she did. When he broke Kimberly's heart with his immature selfishness he did more than even break the trusted covenant between them, or the trust of his friends.

He broke himself.

And what was left was only making it worse.

Relationships and friendships that pre-dated his arrival in Angel Grove were hanging on by a thread as a result of his actions and perceived allegiances. He knew how Jason felt about Trini, and how strained things were between them due to his best friend standing by his side. He knew all too well of the slow burn between Rocky and Aisha and how now he'd driven them farther apart than before… especially after their comments in detention. The girls he once thought of as sisters now thought less of him than dirt.

And then there was Adam. He considered while practicing a very complex Kata in the pouring rain that he'd never been angry at him one time before. It wasn't as if the Black Ranger was perfect, only that they got along so well and were such good friends. They were both quiet loners who needed people to help them break out of their shells. That bonded them, once upon a time. Tommy didn't have a group picture in the last couple of years that Adam wasn't in… not a family barbeque or his parents' 21st wedding anniversary or…

Tommy's arms dropped by his sides as the rain picked up. Adam's close friendship with Kimberly ate away at him, even as he wanted good people to be there for her. But no man wanted to think about the woman he loved being supported so closely by another guy, much less a friend. One who she wanted there… when she didn't want Tommy anywhere near her.

Just thinking about Kim was enough to re-open the gaping wound. If it were this bad for him every waking minute or every day, then how much worse was it for her? Or was it better now that she'd purged him from her heart? Maybe he was the only one grieving now. Maybe she has moved on… to Adam, to Alex…

It absolutely killed him to think that as his body burned with fiery exertion. He was drenched from head to toe. Moisture slicked his face and neck, trickling off his skin in cool droplets as his eyes shut to the natural music of the roaring thunderstorm.

Shutting his eyes for a moment, Tommy recalled he almost punched Adam a few weeks ago. Almost struck a friend and then purposely hurt Aisha by allowing her to make a painful assumption he knew wasn't true. It was absurd behavior; the last thing he'd ever do was hurt a friend, even one he disagreed with. But after betraying Kimberly it seemed as though the limits of what he was capable of were frightening.

"My, how the righteous have fallen."

Tommy spun around, his body instinctively readying for battle at the sound of that familiar voice. His hand moved to his wrist…

"No need to morph, Tommy, or call your companions. There will be no war today," Lord Zedd declared near the clearing, red energy glowing evilly around his body. "I thought we might talk."

"I don't talk to murderers."

"I've also been unfaithful to a number of women in my lifetime," Lord Zedd admitted almost playfully. "Will you talk to me now?"

A verbal low-blow, but Tommy wasn't taking any chances. He knew he should alert Zordon immediately, but a part of him wanted this fight and had for a damn long time. "What the hell do you want?"

Clutching his silver staff, Lord Zedd remained where he stood, facing his longtime arch foe. "I watch you, Tommy. Your struggles and frustration entertain me to no end… to see you battling for the pathetic life you so covet when the Great Power flows through you like a living star. Zordon empowered you with the White Ranger energies and you waste them fretting over what…?" He chuckled behind his mask. "A mere woman."

"Don't pretend you know anything about me," Tommy warned ominously.

"Do you think in all my hundreds of years of life that I have not loved even one woman?" Lord Zedd questioned Tommy as they now circled one another. "I have known love… and loss. It was only when I let go of such useless emotions that I truly began to live. Trust me, absolute power has no equal."

"Only you would place power over love."

"Only you would misinterpret the youthful longings of your heart for the end of your world."

Scowling, Tommy invaded his space, uncaring about the storm or the entity before him. "We've already danced this dance."

"Pity you never learn the steps." Lord Zedd tightly clutched his staff, closely eying his prey. "I won't stop, Tommy," he began quietly as blaring thunder boomed ahead. "I won't stop killing humans. I won't stop until I dominate this world and tear Zordon's from his space-tube until his decrepit aged form dies at my feet."

 _Yes!_ This was what he needed… something to rage against! Tommy glared at him. "I'll be there to stop you!"

"Because it's the right things to do?"

"Because you are evil."

"And I suppose you are good?" Lord Zedd would have smiled as Tommy's defiance ebbed ever so gently. "Betraying Kimberly revealed a side of you that every enemy you have ever faced saw in you… a dark side that craves your wants and desires, damn all else!" he shouted as lightening streaked the sky. "You proclaimed that you loved her more than your own life, and yet you crushed her spirit."

His expression gave no emotion. "I made a terrible mistake. I'm human."

"So was I… once." Surprise glittered Tommy's brown eyes, much to Lord Zedd's amusement. "We all have a beginning, Tommy. A moment… that one defining moment that sets us on our path. Perhaps you tired of being the good guy who had the sweet girlfriend and enjoyed picnics in the park." Goldar's master continued, "You gave up Kimberly for a one night stand with a whore." He laughed at him. "So for once, maybe the first time in your entire life you stopped listening to that part of you that whispers the so called right things to do, and simply took what you wanted. And you know what… I bet some part of you enjoyed it."

Tommy shook his head, growling, "I _hate_ that I hurt Kimberly!"

"But you loved taking what you wanted, and not being denied."

"It was the worst mistake of my life!"

"It _set you free_. It finally showed you what you could have if you shoved aside your so-called morals!" Lord Zedd pushed his buttons even more. "You are so sick and tired of worrying about what people think of you now. You tired of the endless guilt over hurt feelings and broken friendships. You're hurting people on purpose now… the Yellow Ranger, for example, or the man who now looks to steal Kimberly away… and you can't blame that on me or stress or anyone else but yourself!"

Exhaling deeply, Tommy stepped back twice, creating distance between them. "One mistake does not damn my entire character. I'm more than that. And somehow I will make this right." Turning his back to Lord Zedd, Tommy prepared to depart.

"Perhaps I will take your precious Kimberly and allow my minions to rape her to death."

The threat lit a fire, sparked to flames that became an inferno of pure venomous rage! The sheer speed in which Tommy morphed into his White Ranger armor and lunged at him was as startling as Saba's blade now pressed to his neck.

Lord Zedd promised, "I would do it in a heartbeat. I would have her torn apart while you watched."

"I'll kill you first!"

"Do it!" Lord Zedd challenged him… pushed him further, harder! "Kill me now! End my life! Because you know I won't ever stop butchering humans until your world is a dead husk floating in space. I won't stop until every single person you love is dead!"

His chest heaving, Tommy's grip on Saba was lethal as he held the blade to Lord Zedd's throat. He wanted… _lusted_ to end this disgusting creature once and for all. His self-control was failing once more as he craved murdering this thing!

"Damn the Code of the Rangers. It hasn't truly saved a single life on Earth so long as I draw breath. Kill me! Do it for all the victims who won't die by my hands. Do it for Zordon, who you know I will cripple and burn alive. Do it for your team, all of whom I will strip the flesh from their very bones! Do it for Kimberly… your _Beautiful_ … who I promise you will suffer and be tortured until she bleeds out every drop of blood in her body!"

Raising Saba high above his head as the storm drowned them both, fury and fierce rage coursed through him as he slammed Saba down with all his immense might-

-into the dirt beside Lord Zedd's head.

Gasping for every breath he took, Tommy triumphantly rose above Lord Zedd, demorphing. "It wouldn't be hard to kill you, Zedd. The problem is it would be far too easy. And once I rationalized killing you, it wouldn't end with you. Death isn't the answer. Despite what you think of me, I will always honor the Code of the Rangers. We defend, never attack. We protect, never instigate. And it's never, ever personal. You may see some of yourself in me… in the darkest parts of who I am, but there's good in me still. Maybe I won't ever win Kimberly back. Maybe some things will never be the same again. But I am a good man, raised by a good man, surrounded by good people. I know right from wrong. I choose the hard road ahead… the one where I make the wrongs things right even if I don't get what I want in the end. I choose that over the easy way out."

As Lord Zedd quietly rose to his feet, clutching his staff, Tommy continued. "Thank you for giving me my defining moment. I wanted to kill you so badly, and you deserve death more than anyone else in the galaxy. But no matter how far I've fallen, I'll never be you."

Lord Zedd pointed angrily at him. "You're a fool."

"Maybe… but I'm an honorable one. What are you? Nothing but a disgusting shell of a former man. You don't stand for any true ideal. You have no honor and only think of yourself. There is only selfish cruelty in you."

"Every death I cause from this point forward is on your hands."

"Until I put you down… for good," Tommy replied.

Lord Zedd watched him calibrate his wrist communicator, teleporting him away. He was so close to claiming the young man into his Empire, to pushing him so close to the edge of oblivion that he'd have to turn to someone… to Lord Zedd! So close he could feel it… but Tommy was at last, a lost cause. One that he had no hope for.

And so he'd have to die. ' _Unless…'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first big attempt to bridge the chasm separating the team unveils some interesting viewpoints.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Timeline:** Divergence after Season 3. Kim never left, Zeo never happened. It's their Senior year of high school.
> 
>  **Notes:** Jason, Zack and Trini came back for their Senior year. Kat joined the team. They are alternate Rangers, and assist as necessary.
> 
>  **Genre:** Drama/Angst/Hurt/Comfort – take note, there are no magic answers in this story. It deals with a variety of issues, and people deal with them in a variety of ways.
> 
>  **Ships (so far):** Jason/Trini
> 
>  **A/N:** psyco_chick32 – And now we get to the parts that Shawn and I could have killed each other over if we lived anywhere near each other. Yay!
> 
>  **A/N:** Shawn30 – It’s always darkest before the dawn.

**Command Center**   
**Saturday, October: Week 1**   
**1:00 p.m.**   


The sky was clear and the sun was bright, burning hot and heavy over the boys as they gathered on the Command Center roof. It was dry, hot and dusty… making already frustrating conditions that much more uncomfortable. Billy sat off to the side, scowling ineffectively at a piece of something metal, occasionally poking at it with a tool. Rocky lay on his back, squinting at the copy of _I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings_ he held above his head to block the sunlight.

Jason, Zack and Tommy sat quietly in a small group, awaiting Adam and the girls. For the first time in recent memory, Tommy was early to something, and of course the people he wanted to show his responsibility to weren't there to see. _'Looking good isn't the point, and it's going to take a lot more than being early to a meeting to show that I'm not a bad person,'_ he chided himself. _'This is a meeting to make things better for the_ team _, not me personally.'_

If things _could_ be fixed.

A streak of pink accompanied a streak of yellow; Kat and Trini materialized. "Kim will be here in a few minutes," Trini said with a hint of exasperation. "You know how she can get. She's having a hair day."

"Why does Kat teleport pink?" Rocky asked out of the blue to kill time, slicing through the tension that had grown with Trini's pronouncement. All they needed was for Kim to show up to this pow-wow already upset.

"She absorbed pink Morphin' energy from Kim's power coin," Billy answered without looking up from his doodad, then grumbling softly when he nicked himself.

"Oh."

Jason waved around at the girls, "Pull up a patch of… roof, I guess." The girls arranged themselves in an awkward semi-circle with the guys, leaving room for the remainder of the team. They'd just settled when Kim, Aisha and Adam teleported to the edge; the Yellow and Black Rangers flanked Kim as they slowly walked to the group, Kim looking as though she wanted to be anywhere but there.

Trini patted the open spot beside her, nearly directly across from Tommy. After sharing a few looks and a couple murmurs incomprehensible to the guys, Aisha sat next to her predecessor; Adam sat with a space for Kim between them. When Kim lingered standing, Adam reached up and tugged lightly on her wrist. She stared at him. He shook his head slowly. With a sigh and what looked like a tiny pout, Kim settled herself beside him.

An uncomfortable silence fell as the ten teens sat together in a non-Ranger setting for the first time in just over a month.

All eyes fell on Jason. As the original leader, he commanded at least a small amount of respect from each of them – some more than others, he hated to admit to himself. He exhaled heavily, took a deep breath, and stood.

"I'm glad we're all here tonight," he started, kicking himself immediately for sounding so formal. "Guys, there have been a lot of hurt feelings and misunderstandings in the past month." He thought he heard Kim snort in wry amusement, but forged on. "A lot of shit hit the fan when Tommy… well, when everyone seemed to choose sides here. That's not right. We're friends. Good friends. Most of us have been together for years."

He'd started walking around by this time, unable to stand still. It was only because was he near her that he heard Kim mutter snarkily, "You'd be surprised how little that means to some people." Jason closed his eyes and hoped they'd be able to get through at least part of this group meeting without an explosion from the more temperamental members.

"We've been together through so much," Jason went on. "Rita, Zedd, now both of them. Some of us went to elementary school together… middle school, then all the issues that come with high school. We've defended the world and traveled to other countries and planets and galaxies and even dimensions. We have _never_ been defeated. But now, we're divided and not working like a team. It's not because of an evil spell or a mission gone wrong or a trip to another country; it's because we've torn ourselves apart."

Behind him, Tommy stood. "Let's be honest, Jase. I'm the reason for this. And guys, I can't say I'm sorry enough." He came to stand next to his best friend, who put a hand on his shoulder. "I fucked up really, really badly and it's something I can never take back."

The White Ranger strode across the circle to where Adam stood next to Kim. He let himself look down at her for a moment before turning his gaze on Adam, who tensed up, clearly expecting another tongue-lashing for his various "crimes."

"Adam… I- fuck, _we_ have been assholes to you and you don't deserve it one bit. Whether we like it or not, you have your own opinions and you were strong enough to stick by them, even when I know we hurt you a lot. It hurt to know you didn't have my back in the same way the other guys did, and I lashed out before thinking over what you had said instead of what I heard."

Adam stared at Tommy studiously, as though trying to dissect him with his eyes. It was a long, nerve-racking moment before Adam nodded. "It's fine."

Kim elbowed him sharply; Adam grunted and glared at her before rolling his eyes and turning back to Tommy. "Okay, fine. I'm not going to lie… it's not fine. What you guys did sucked, a lot. I'm not saying I don't understand where you're coming from, because I do. It's natural to lash out when you're feeling attacked," Adam explained, "but you even turned me away when I tried to make things right between us. Maybe it was too soon. I don't know… I know we can get past this, because we were friends once. But…"

Tommy nodded as Adam trailed off, flushing a bit as he wasn't normally so talkative or assertive. "I have to earn it. We all do, and we know that." He held out a hand. "Friends?"

Adam eyed the hand like a snake before pushing himself to stand. He took a deep breath and reached out. "Friends."

Rocky jumped up before things could go back to awkward and silent, shoving Tommy to the side. He turned to Kim. "Jason said that Trini said you feel like we've turned our backs on you. That you think we don't think what Tommy did was wrong, or that you should take him back, and stuff like that. I'm saying it now so it's flat-out: I hate that he hurt you. I hate what happened, and I in no way think he was right. I love you, Kimmy, and I don't like that I haven't been able to tell you that recently… but I guess I can see why you did what you did."

When Kim managed a small, sort of watery smile, he held out his arms. "Can I have a hug?" She chewed on her lip for a second uncertainly before pushing herself up and into his arms. She stood there for a second before wrapping her arms around him and clinging with the strength of an alien face-hugger. Rocky let her stay there, holding her tightly until she chose to break off the embrace. She finally stepped back, and he gave her a heartfelt smile before moving to sit next to Adam.

Kim was about to sit when Zack spoke next. "Hold up a moment." When the former Black Ranger got to his feet, he looked angrier than the rest of their friends. Worried looks were exchanged, but everybody had agreed (more or less) before the meeting that people needed to say whatever they felt they had to.

Zack stood in the center of the group now, staring directly at Kim. "Kim, I have known you since I was seven years old. I was there the whole time you dealt with your parents divorcing. You went to the hospital with me when my grandpa had heart surgery after his heart attack."

When Kim nodded hesitantly, unsure of what this had to do with anything, he continued. "When everything went down and everything came out into the open, the _only_ thing I said was that I did not think Tommy should step down as leader of the Rangers over a personal issue." He glared at Aisha, adding, "Regardless of what you may or may not have heard, I didn't say anything about Tommy's actions outside of whether or not they should affect his role in defending the Earth."

Trini buried her face in her hands as Zack's voice grew louder. Kim took a half step back, her face losing color.

"Don't get me wrong; when Jason told me what had happened I was more pissed off than you can imagine. But I shouldn't have to say that, because you should already know," he insisted. "When have I ever turned my back on you? I have been there for you through everything up until now, Kim. And I wanted to be there for you for this, too, but you didn't want anything to do with me, or Jason, or Rocky. And you know what? That's cool. You were upset and grieving and I can respect that. But I kept coming by your place and calling and trying to talk to you for three whole weeks."

Kim opened her mouth to reply; Zack cut her off. "I'm not done, let me finish." He took a deep breath, cringing because he knew his tone was nothing but trouble. But these were things he had to get off his chest. "It's been a month, and this is the first time I get to talk to you, and rather than hugging you and telling you I love you, I have to tell you how much you hurt me instead. You judged me when you had no reason to. What in the world gave you any reason to believe that I approved of what he did? You may have assumed, and that's your prerogative, but it's not fair that you never asked or even gave me a chance to tell you why I was doing what I was. You ignored almost ten years of friendship for what you _thought_ you saw in a week."

As Zack finished his piece, Kim realized she'd begun shaking. She glowered at Zack from across the circle and for a moment, a part of her was awed and dismayed that she could be that upset with her friend. But a majority of her attention was on the topic of Zack's rant…

"Are you finished?" she was sarcastically careful to confirm. When Zack nodded, she lifted her chin, facing him head-on. "Me, me, me," she mumbled, stepping forward. Her fists clenched and she could feel the heat in her face. Zack's eyes widened minutely and Jason tugged the former Black Ranger back to give her the floor. Kim let out a humorless laugh. "That's what this is all about, isn't it?"

When the guys looked confused, Kim clarified. " _You!_ It's all about you. Of course it is!" Fingers combed agitatedly through her hair. "Heaven forbid my own thoughts be about me or what _I'm_ feeling. Ohhh, no. It's not even about the asshole who started all of this! It's about _you_ and how misjudged you are and how _mean_ I've have been to you."

"That's not what-"

"No!" Kimberly cut him off as he had done only a minute ago to her. "You got to bitch me out with no interruptions. Now it's my turn and if you don't like it, you can fucking deal. Just like I've had to deal with everything the last month. I feel so fucking _betrayed_. You know that? I thought that you, and you," she added, turning to Jason, "would take my side in anything and everything. I never once thought that I could question how much you guys love me. Then Tommy decided I wasn't enough for him, and Jason of all people kept it a secret!"

Tears were welling up in her eyes, but she couldn't stop. "You're so shocked and offended that I would question how you feel? After a month of watching you try and cheer him up and make him feel better, you've pretty much made your point." Kim had begun to pace, twisting her hands angrily as though she'd like nothing more than to wrap them around somebody's throat. "I _assumed_ you didn't think Tommy was wrong because you've never _acted_ like anything was wrong or _said_ anything was wrong! Never once until tonight have you had anything negative to say about your supposedly amazing 'bro.'"

Every single emotion – every thought, every hate-filled word, every memory tainted by the thought that her brothers in everything but blood had turned their backs on her for the man who broke her heart – came pouring out of her with a violent, vengeful anger.

Kim stopped, whirling on Zack and Jason with a steely glint in her eyes. "When Adam stuck up for me, you all treated him like he was worse than dirt. And yet you have the nerve to bitch and moan to me about doing the exact same thing you did to him! If you don't like how I treated you then maybe you should look in a goddamned mirror and check your own faults at the door. When Aisha dared chew Tommy out, you all treated her like she was a bitch, daring to question your amazing leader," she drawled sarcastically. "You're a goddamned hypocrite if you can say Tommy was wrong, but Adam's wrong, too… because Adam's opinion is that Tommy. Was. Wrong!"

Jason blinked repeatedly, leaning back. What Kim was saying eerily echoed Trini's words on the subject.

"You wanna know why I didn't ask you how you felt." When Zack met her eyes, she shouted, "Because I didn't need your salesman selling points as to why Tommy's the greatest ever, _honest_ , and maybe I should give him a second chance because he's sorry and it was _just one time_!" She snorted as she repeated the phrases she'd heard. "It only makes sense… if you're still loyal to him because it was _just one time_ and I should forgive Jason for keeping that secret because it was _just one time_ then of course you'd think I should take that asshole back for the exact same fucking reason!"

Kim's harsh breathing was the only noise as everybody processed her angry words.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks as her anger gave way to sadness. "Why?" she asked mournfully, just loud enough to be heard. "Why would you treat him like him cheating on me means nothing? Even you've said we've been friends for more than ten years; why aren't I as important to you as him? I would hate for you guys to go through this… _and why wasn't I enough for you!_ " The last bit she directed to Tommy, her voice raising in volume and pitch as she all but lost it, her emotions again taking off on the roller coaster they'd been on for weeks.

For a moment, there was silence. Then Tommy stood again, taking a deep breath before facing Kim. "You were always more than enough for me. You're all I wanted, and I fucked that up in ways that-" He stopped for a moment, choking on them before continuing, "I can't take it back. And we all know that I'm a fucking idiot. The guys… they _never_ encouraged or supported me, Kim, or blew off what I did. I've been read the riot act more times than I can count, and I deserved every bit of it. I'm so sorry, guys. My parents raised me to be a good guy, not to cheat-"

"Instead," Kim snarled, "you're nothing but a lying, cheating asshole!" She wanted him to hurt as much as she did; his friends might let him off easy but she refused to. She _needed_ him to feel just a fraction of what she did. "Maybe that lesson never sunk in since they're not your real parents!" The moment she finished shouting, she gasped, as though only realizing then what she had said. She couldn't have hurt him more if she tried and she knew it. What she said was devastating… cruel… meant to incite and enrage and hurt like hell.

Mission accomplished.

He'd heard what she said, but the words didn't process in his mind right away. Fragments of dark, painful emotion burned through his veins. In front of every friend he had, Kimberly verbally razor-bladed the one issue she knew ate away at him still. His real parents remained as unknown as ever; while he couldn't ever recall missing out a single bit of love from his adoptive parents, his true heritage was a ghost that haunted him still.

Tommy swallowed, his mouth and throat dry as she verbally stabbed him in the gut and twisted the knife. Tears wet his brown eyes; through them, he stared daggers at Kim, unsure who she was or probably worse, what he had turned her into. His body trembled as though he'd absorbed a physical blow. He never noticed the way his fists clenched, the unnervingly deep breath he took, or the way he glared blackly at her.

"I'm _sorry_ ," he spat, stepping forward, only vaguely noting the way Kimberly backpedaled as he advanced. "I'm sorry that I don't have the perfect life, and that I'm only human. I'm sorry that I'm not perfect, like your precious Adam is."

Trini groaned into her hands before shooting a panicked look at Kat. Everything was going to hell.

Behind Kim, Adam's eyes narrowed at the slight. Not even ten minutes after apologizing, Tommy was back on the hate-Adam train.

"I'm sure _Jenny_ thinks you're perfect. Only we know the truth… that you're a fucking bastard," Kim shot back. The back of her shoe scraped against Adam's and she realized there was nowhere left to go… and still, Tommy came toward her with a dark look in his eye. If she had been a guy, she knew he'd beat the shit out of her. As much as she knew he wouldn't hit a woman, she couldn't ignore her instincts, and braced herself for the blow. She'd be damned if she cowered from him!

The very second Kim shifted into a defensive position, Adam and Aisha were on their feet. Aisha stepped partially in front of Kim while Adam walked to Tommy, putting a restraining hand on his shoulder. "That's enough. Back off," he said.

 _'Break his hand!'_ flew through Tommy's thoughts. He twitched but pointedly ignored the Black Ranger. "Jason, get his hand off me before I rip it off." He stared down Aisha, who was glaring vile threats of dismemberment at him.

Adam's hand fell as Tommy's eyes swept over Kim. It was only then that he realized she was trembling – just slightly, but it was like a bucket of cold water. Was she actually _afraid_ of him? His anger deflated almost immediately, replaced with an all-too-familiar wave of shame.

Jason's input made him feel worse. "Tommy, you need to sit down and calm down." It sounded like a suggestion; the tone was anything but, reminiscent of his own time leading the Rangers.

Tommy nodded shortly, adrenaline still rushing through him and wished he had an outlet.

Kim didn't ease from her own stance until Tommy was well across the group. As she sat, the Rangers shifted awkwardly. Adam eased down next to her, eying her warily. "You okay?" he murmured softly. She nodded, still tense.

Jason ran a hand over his face in frustration. This whole meeting was going to hell. Everybody was angry; every accusation was making things worse – although enough had been said that maybe, after everybody had time to think on it, they'd understand where everybody was coming from.

"Okay, guys, can we just-" His plea for civility was cut off by the multi-toned chirping of their communicators.

Duty called.

* * *

 **Command Center**   
**Saturday, October: Week 1**   
**2:30 p.m.**   


It was harder than Tommy could have imagined to focus on what Zordon was saying. Kim's harsh words still rattled in his brain, but he welcomed the distraction and a chance to work out his aggression.

"Your assistance is requested on the moon of Galaya - where The United Planetary Alliance has a medium-security prison. Several have escaped and managed to overwhelm their jailers."

Paperwork shot out of the printer, and Jason grabbed it. "I think this is best left to the active team," he murmured, eying the information provided. "Guards incapacitated… no reports of deaths, but the prisoners appear to have begun trying to break into the security systems. No major murderers among them that I can see…"

"I'm sure at least a few of them are smart enough to take down the security protocols," Billy said. "We can put our own in place as a temporary solution if we can break through their ranks. The added technology should help us subdue them fairly quickly."

Kim snagged one of the sheets being passed around, holding it so Adam and Trini could look on with her. "Looks like the prison has a small shipyard… I'd bet they're going to try and make off with a couple of the ships."

"The Alliance should be able to track them," Adam pointed out.

Kim shrugged, "Still should do our best to keep them from taking them in the first place. If they don't get off the moon, it saves time having to track the jerks down later." She glanced at Tommy – all business now – and then looked up at Zordon. "Let me take the Crane Zord and I'll keep them grounded."

The White Ranger was scowling, but nodded. "Ninjazords will be easier for this; they're more space-capable and will be easier to maneuver."

"We should only need one or two. Kim can keep them grounded and maybe Aisha to patrol the exteriors. Billy should be inside to help with security systems and I'm pretty good with them… how about Rocky and you cover us?" Adam suggested.

Fists clenched as he was _not_ feeling friendly toward half his team, much less enjoying them taking _his_ reins, Tommy still conceded that he had a point. "Anybody have any objections?" Heads shook, and he turned to Zack. "Hey, keep an eye on the systems; let us know if anybody comes in or out of the flight space. Alliance ships or not, the convicts probably have ties outside the jail and could be hitching a ride with somebody else in all the confusion. Play traffic cop if you have to."

"I'll let the Alliance know what we're doing," Trini added, making her way to the console.

"Let's get going, then. It's Morphin' Time!"

Jason watched them morph and teleport out. Crossing his fingers, he said a prayer that this battle wouldn't resemble the last that occurred right after a big fight.

* * *

 **Galaya**   
**Saturday, October: Week 1**

 **Equivalent Time: 4:30 p.m.**   


"Guys… we're missing ships here," Kim informed the group as soon as she saw the open spaces in what she surmised should have been an unbroken pattern of parked vessels. "Unless some of the guards used them? Trini, can you find out?"

" _I'm on it."_

Kim turned her zord in lazy figure-8s as she waited, catching sight of the Megaship operated by the Astro Rangers of KO-35. She dipped the Crane's nose down in greeting before running her eyes over the fence that should have separated the prisoners from the ships.

" _Kim, I can't clarify anything until Billy gets the systems up and running,"_ Trini finally apologized. " _The prisoners must have cut off the computers, because nobody can tell me if they were taken legitimately or not."_

Kim didn't get a chance to answer, as Tommy's voice broke in. " _Anything in the way of maps available? I know we skimmed them before we left, but this place is like a maze."_

Once upon a time, she would have joked about his awful memory. She would have teasingly promised to pick him up a compass for Christmas. Now she bit her tongue, because the last thing she'd said directly to him had been so painful she wasn't sure she had the right… admittedly, in the deepest part of her heart, wasn't sure if she wanted it.

She suddenly wished she were in an active battle like the guys. Maybe then her mind wouldn't have free rein to wander.

* * *

Tommy cursed as he and Billy fell under yet more laser fire. Apparently a gang of prisoners had banded together and overwhelmed the guards near the weapons lockers, because he had yet to find more than three or four aliens that weren't armed and dangerous. "This is fucking ridiculous."

Billy didn't sound any happier when he added, "The longer they have access to the systems, the more likely they are to do long-lasting damage." Worst was the request that they do as little harm to the prisoners as possible; a strange requirement for Rangers who were used to taking the offensive when under heavy fire.

The laser blasts came to a sudden stop, and the two Rangers heard groans and the sounds of bodies hitting the floor. Confused, Billy peered around the corner…

to see Rocky and Adam looking at them, heads tilted. "You guys good?"

Tommy's jaw clenched. "Just peachy."

"Looks like we got turned around in here. It's like a video game or something."

Adam shook his head at Rocky's assessment. "I wouldn't mind that - a map in the corner of my visor wouldn't be bad."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Which way did you guys come from? We'll head down the opposite and split up at the next hallway."

They were halfway down the leading hallway - oddly empty - when a wave of static nearly deafened them, followed by a shout. _"Shit, shit, shit!"_

"Kim? What's going on?" Rocky asked, head tilted up as though he could see through the roof.

"' _Sha! A ship's headed your way."_

" _So knock it the fuck out of the sky!"_ Aisha sounded harried, and the boys exchanged looks.

" _I'm a little busy here!"_

" _'Sha? Kim? Report,"_ Tommy ordered.

His eyes rolled when Aisha responded, " _Hey, hold your horses, flyboy. There's a bit of- god dammit, stop shooting at my zord!"_ She cut out for a moment.

Kim's voice crackled in, _"Well, let's see. There's four… wait, five- no, six. Never mind, five - the Astro Rangers got that last one. Anyway, five ships out here and I'm running out of rockets and lasers. Zack says none are responding to his hails so God only knows if I'm shooting at innocents or not, which will be great since they asked us to, you know, not to."_ Static flickered again, making Tommy wince. " _It looks like the Bear Zord has fleas since there are things climbing on it, but I think Aisha has it-"_

" _I'm good,"_ Aisha growled. _"_ _I don't think they were expecting this baby can stand on its hind legs. Though I'm tempted to squish 'em all and get it over with."_

"Minimal injuries," Tommy reminded her with a hint of warning in his voice. "No matter how tempting it is." He was still so angry, and running into with both guns blazing would have been a bit of stress relief. No luck, though.

Adam cleared his throat. "Do you have everything under control up there, Kim?"

" _Everything but permission to fire at these ships, if you'd like to give me that. Two have tried to shoot at me, and I returned fire on one… the Astros got the other. But the other four are just hovering…"_

No matter how angry he was at her, Tommy couldn't help the small twitch at the thought of her in trouble, but forced his voice to stay even. "Only fire if they engage you or try to land. Otherwise, leave 'em alone."

"Gotcha."

It was a small balm to Tommy that she didn't argue, and that Aisha didn't choose to insert a snarky reply. Maybe they could pull this out anyway.

The four young men had continued making their way around the jail, noticing far fewer convicts in their way. "Willing to bet most are outside now," Rocky said with a sigh.

"Possibly," Billy said with a nod. "Nonetheless, the girls can keep them under control for now. Let's find the security room and get things under control."

Tommy nodded and led the way, with Rocky and Adam breaking off at the next junction.

The sooner they were out of this place, the better.

* * *

 **Command Center**   
**Saturday, October: Week 1**   
**9:40 p.m.**   


The active Rangers demorphed tiredly; Jason, Zack and Kat checking for injuries as Zordon, Alpha and Trini read through the results of their mission. "The United Planetary Alliance requests that two Rangers return in four of the moon's days to double-check the security parameters. All but one convict were recaptured; the missing Raiathan was convicted on a minor charge and, while they would like him to be brought to justice, it's not a concern that requires Ranger assistance," Trini rattled off. After her year at the Peace Conference, she'd taken on the role of Intergalactic Ambassador for the Earth Ranger Team.

"Okay," Tommy nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose to ward off a tension headache. "Why don't we send-"

"Adam and I will go," Rocky volunteered. "We've got a good handle on most of Billy's security work."

With a small sigh, Tommy acquiesced. He'd rather go himself, but with all the drama lately, it'd be better if he just trusted Adam to do his job… _that_ , at least, he could admit the Black Ranger was good at.

Aisha smiled at Rocky. It was good to see him make the effort to reconnect with Adam; seeing them at odds had been insanely upsetting, given that they had been friends for more than a decade.

Kim found herself leaning against a console. She was absolutely exhausted - physically, mentally and emotionally. From the meeting - no, more like a fight - on the roof to the battle on Galaya, she felt like the world's biggest punching bag. _'Stop feeling sorry for yourself,'_ she ordered herself sternly.

"Rangers," Zordon intoned, breaking through the tense silence that was building. "I must commend you on your exemplary performance today. Tommy, the quick resolution of the conflict is a testament to your leadership. And the solutions you all were able to execute are a demonstration of your teamwork."

Tommy nodded, eyes forward as Zordon broached the topic he'd been dreading.

"Several weeks ago, I told you we would reassess the situation that caused strife and emotional conflict within the team. I feel enough time has passed for each of you to be objective in your decision-making."

Kim almost laughed at the irony. _'Yeah, things_ would _be better… if we hadn't almost gotten into an all-out fight on the roof…'_

"Tommy," Zordon began. "As leader, I turn to you first. Do you have lingering concerns that you believe would cause friction within the team?"

He took a deep breath. He thought about the way Adam and Aisha put themselves between him and Kim… her vicious slur against him, and the tension from just a few hours ago. Then he took a moment to review the fight they had returned from. "…no," he decided. "We clearly still have issues, but we are able to put them aside in battle. We showed that today."

Zordon shifted his attention to the other active members of the teams. "Billy?" Of all the Rangers, he had the fewest concerns with the Blue Ranger. He'd wisely done his best to stay out of the conflict.

Billy motioned to the papers Trini held. "Our results clearly demonstrate we are capable of overcoming adversity in our personal lives to better that of the Universe. Provided nobody disagrees, the best course of action is to leave things as-is for the time being."

"Adam, do you agree?"

The Black Ranger nodded immediately. He'd never wanted any of them off the team; if somebody had to go, he knew who it should be, but they were able to handle themselves well. He looked down at Kim for a moment, wondering if she had finally made peace with everything that had happened as it pertained to Rangering.

"Rocky?"

Rocky responded, "Yeah. We're good. No worries here."

Tommy's jaw clenched when he realized the two opinions that remained were those from the most outspoken member, and the person with the biggest reason to doubt him.

"Aisha. You were clearly angry at Tommy and other members of this team when we last discussed this. Do you feel the same way now?"

Aisha worried her lower lip with her teeth. She could almost hear the seconds tick by. The way Tommy had acted on the roof warred with his efficiency as their leader in the battle that day, and she sighed.

She cleared her throat. "I think our team can handle anything evil wants to throw our way."

Tommy let out a breath quietly. Just Kim left – if Aisha agreed he should keep his position, then wouldn't she? No matter what she thought of him outside the Rangers – her words were still like a knife in his back – she'd always stood by him as leader.

Zordon remained silent for a moment, regarding Kimberly.

"Kimberly." It wasn't a question, and so she was quiet, waiting for him to continue. "I do not wish to diminish your feelings – you were deeply hurt by what occurred. If you have any problems working with your fellow Rangers, most particularly under Tommy's leadership, please let me know now."

She drew in a deep breath. Would she still have a problem? She'd met with their mentor just the night before, concerned about her own position on the team. It was a conversation that lasted long into the night as Zordon reassured her that her emotional response was natural and that she was not to blame for the resulting drama that rippled through the team. So… how did she feel about _Tommy's_ spot on the team? She wondered if speaking up against him would make her look worse in the other Rangers' eyes. Then Zack's words came back to her, and she wondered if it was even possible to look worse.

Still, she had to be honest with herself. Kim still didn't trust Tommy… but she knew how much Rangering meant to him. She knew how much he thrived on leading the team. It was the thing he was most proud of. It was a fleeting temptation to strip that of him, the way he'd stripped her of her self-confidence and self-worth. But that would be cruel, and she couldn't bring herself to do it.

She lifted her chin. "No, Zordon. I'll be fine."

"Alright. Rangers, things will remain as they are for now. If anybody has a concern they do not wish to air in front of your teammates, please come see me. Go home and rest, knowing you've done a remarkable job today."

With that, Zordon disappeared from his tube, to whatever form he took when not addressing or observing them.

Almost as one, everybody heaved a sigh of relief – for various reasons, but all thankful that the tension in the room had eased at least a little. Kim leaned against Adam tiredly. It had been a really long day.

Just then, sneakered feet made their way into her line of sight. "Hey, can we talk?" For all he spoke quietly, Jason's voice cut through her thoughts and she winced internally.

Of _course_ this day wouldn't be over. She wouldn't be so lucky. She lifted her head and met Jason's eyes. The look on his face suggested he wasn't going to be put off like previous times, and she couldn't keep on letting Aisha fight her battles.

"Just you and me," he added when she didn't immediately shoot him down. "Up there," he motioned to the roof with his head, "I didn't get much of a say, and there's a lot of unspoken stuff between us that I'd like to get out into the open."

Kim sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, shooting a quick glance at Trini who was talking to a wary-looking Aisha and Adam. No doubt explaining the situation, she figured. "Um… alright. Can I take a shower first? I'm grimy and gross."

He smiled to hear her say something she would have before everything went to hell, and shooed her toward the door to the dorms. "Go on."

One by one, the Rangers trickled out. Tommy was the first to teleport home. Aisha and Trini hovered for a while talking in low tones with Billy and Kat. They eventually dispersed, Aisha going home, but not before leveling a stern glare at Jason. "I will be right across the hall," she warned him. "So help me God if you make her cry again I will repay you in full."

Jason rolled his eyes. "I have never wanted her to cry."

Zack came up to him, eyes looking slightly guilty as the weight of how he had lashed out at Kim began to set in. "I'm gonna head home, I guess."

"Get some sleep. Things'll be better in the morning," Jason said optimistically, wondering silently if he would be so hopeful after his own chat with Kim.

"Here's hoping. Good luck."

As the streak of black disappeared, he realized he and Trini were the only ones left. He held his arms open, and Trini stepped into them gratefully. For this one moment, it was just them, and he reveled in it.

Alas, it had to end. "Be nice to her," Trini murmured into his chest. She sounded weary and his heart hurt for her as he realized the toll this drama was taking on everybody. "She's still hurting, Jase, and I'm sure Zack's outburst didn't help." She didn't let him interrupt, rushing to add, "I'm not saying he's wrong. That's not my place. But the yelling... well, it was going to happen sometime." She sighed. There were no easy answers.

The two stepped apart when Kim coughed uncomfortably from the door. Her arms were already crossed over her chest - not angrily, but almost as if to shield herself from the coming confrontation. "Um, ready?"

Jason nodded. He dropped a quick kiss on Trini's lips, silently acknowledging her advice, and walked over to the diminutive Pink Ranger. "Let's go."

They arrived in Kim's room in a flurry of light. Kim immediately wandered over to her closet, ordering Jason to turn around while she changed into her pajamas. He took a deep breath, hoping upon hope that both of them could calmly talk through their differences. He was tired of her pushing him away; he didn't think he could take much more.

As he waited, he thought back to Kim's words on the roof: her anger, her frustration, her tears, and the vicious jabs she took at Tommy. That wasn't the Kim he knew at all. Sure, she'd always been a bit emotional, and she'd lashed out a few times during her parents' divorce… but nothing like he'd seen today. This Kim was a stranger. This Kim believed that he and Zack were capable of _wanting_ her to hurt. How had she lost sight of their childhood, of the way they'd always had her back? He'd heard her arguments to Zack, and they made an uncomfortable amount of sense.

But in the end, she was _wrong_. They weren't excuses, and that needed to be discussed.

He took a seat when Kim walked over to the bed, sitting at the desk across from the bed. She shifted, moving pillows around, somehow looking small and exhausted. He wanted to go across to her and hug her, but there were things that needed to be resolved first.

"I'm sorry about not telling you," he started off when she was comfortable. Better to begin with his own sins – the reasons she had given for avoiding them. "It was a stupid choice, and I wish I could take it back. I wish I would have forced Tommy over to tell you right away, or that I had warned you. I _did_ hit him, once," he insisted, "because I hate what he did. And you have to know that me not telling you isn't some sort of signal that I approved, because I didn't. And don't. His argument was that he should have been the one to tell you… and I agreed."

Jason paused for a moment as Kim piped up. "Do you think… if Tommy hadn't said anything, would you have told me eventually? He was… I mean, with all the nice things he was doing and saying before…" She trailed off, looking at her hands rather than him.

He seethed a little. "Of course I would! I would have _made_ him tell you!" He ran a hand through his hair agitatedly. "See, that's what I don't understand about all of this, Kim. Yeah, I know I fucked up. And I know that the way we treated Adam wasn't any good, either. But the way you judged us, as though we had anything to do with Tommy cheating, it hurts. A lot."

"You never said what he did was wrong," Kim said softly.

Jason shook his head. "But just like Zack said – we shouldn't have had to! Even then, if you had let us in within even the first week or two, we would have told you that. We didn't pick Tommy over you… you just jumped to the conclusion that we did. That wasn't fair."

She hung her head. "It looked like you did. You kept his secret, you watched him be sweet to me when he'd just betrayed me. You were mean to Adam and Aisha when they were sticking up for me."

"Aisha was being really aggressive, Kim. And Adam… I don't think you'll ever understand. With Adam and the guys, it's deeper than that. But we're trying hard to fix things, because you were right. It's hypocritical to be mad at you for treating us badly, and then do the exact same thing to him."

When Kim didn't respond, he forged on. "What hurts the most is that you wouldn't let me be there for you. I didn't know how you were doing or coping. This is the first really big thing that I haven't been able to support you through, and it's certainly not because I didn't want to. You didn't want me here; you pushed me away."

"I know."

"Then why would you do it?"

"I was hurting. I was angry and upset," Kim tried to explain. "In 8th grade, you gave Eric Johansen a broken nose for calling me a whore. But with Tommy, it seemed like you let it slide, because he was more important."

"I didn't let it slide. I hate that he hurt you, and he's aware of it. But I can't let things slide for you, either. We're all hurting." Did he dare tackle the cause of all this? He didn't want to, but this all had to be out in the open. "Speaking of Tommy… what you said to him? That was the cruelest thing possible, and you know it. I couldn't believe I heard you say it."

Kim nodded again, offering up no explanation. "I know."

"I understand that you were angry, and that he really hurt you. But what you said… you really need to apologize to him."

She stared at him in shock, as though absolutely appalled that he would suggest that.

"It's for the good of the team, Kim. You might not realize it, but he's been really upset about what happened."

She blinked a few times. She really had no idea what to tell him. She knew she had been out of line… but honestly? Making him hurt and rage was amazingly satisfying. She shouldn't have said it, and she regretted touching on that particular nerve… but she wasn't as sorry as she should have been for making him hurt.

Jason realized that particular issue was not going to be explored today and decided not to push. "Everybody would have been fine if you had just let us in to begin with," he couldn't help but point out, "instead of acting like we had to pick a side."

She recoiled slightly, looking away again. "…I know. I screwed up. I'm sorry." Her voice was small, as though it was killing her to say these things. "I'll apologize to Zack and Rocky, too."

"Good, because they were almost as upset as I was."

Jason was feeling much better, now that he saw Kim was contrite for what she had done. Kim didn't seem to, though, so he attempted to lighten the mood. "Do you know Rocky told Tommy he hopes he never gets you back?"

Kim shrugged.

"This whole thing really divided the team," Jason mused. "Maybe we should have a rule that none of the active Rangers can date each other."

She snorted. "Doesn't look like it'll be much of a problem. I don't know what I want anymore. And I've screwed up Rocky's chances with Aisha… or maybe the other way around. I dunno. They were so close to getting together then Aisha jumped to my defense and everything went downhill from there." She sighed. "I really owe him an apology."

"If 'Sha and Rocky have issues, it's on them, not you. They're both adults. You can't blame yourself for everything."

Kimberly just exhaled deeply, a little lost in thought, a lot exhausted from the emotional toll of everything that had happened in the day.

Jason sighed. "Well, he's dating Tammi now," he offered in case she didn't know. It didn't seem to matter, and he frowned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Kim shrugged again and let out a small sigh. "I've just… caused a lot of problems. I guess I didn't realize how many."

Jason waved her off. "Nah. All of us have made mistakes, and it started with what Tommy did. And all of our apologies will go a long way. Hopefully now we all know where we went wrong."

She winced like he'd hit her, then nodded, again staring down. Jason was growing frustrated again; why was she still so upset? He tried pushing the limit a little bit, finally figuring this was his time to talk about _her_ , like he should have been able to from the beginning. "So… how are you _really_ doing? I know this can't have been easy."

She let out a harsh chuckle that bordered on a sob, tilting her head straight back. For a minute, he thought she wasn't going to answer.

"I'm… I just… Zack said- When he- I shouldn't have…" It seemed like a dozen things wanted to come out of her mouth at once. She shut it quickly, and then shook her head. "Can we just… not talk about it right now?"

Jason almost made to argue; she cut him off. "I know you want to… be here. And do things and stuff, and that's nice of you. I'm just really tired. I really just want to go to bed."

She really did look exhausted: she was all but holding herself upright, with dark bags under her eyes. If he had to be honest with himself, she seemed like she was about to burst into tears. It worried him… and made him sigh to realize she didn't want him to see that, despite the hundreds of break-downs he'd held her through in the past.

"Alright. I _do_ want to talk about stuff, though."

She forced a smile and nodded. When he stood to give her a hug, she wrapped her arms around him lightly, closing her eyes when he kissed her on the forehead.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Mmm-hmm."

He helpfully put out the light, then teleported out in a stream of red, looking somewhat pleased with the progress they'd made.

Letting out a long breath, Kim finally crawled between the sheets.

And sighed.

It had been a long day.

* * *

 **Angel Grove Park**   
**Saturday, October: Week 1**   
**10:00 p.m.**   


Another shot rimmed off, rolling behind the backboard into the grass.

Zack glared at the basketball, then his own two hands. "Guys, you're failing me. Come on now. My jumper is the truth and you know it."

Racing after the basketball across the empty court, Zack took six quick dribbles, hit his "sweet spot" and launched a high arcing fade-away jumper.

All net.

Just not inside the rim.

The ball fell just outside the rim, skimming the net before bouncing back into the grass. It rolled to a dead stop and Zack didn't bother going after it. He simply stared as if it betrayed him…

The same way his good sense betrayed him on the rooftop of the Command Center. If he tried hard enough, he could still hear their arguing in the back of his mind. What began as a group meeting to try and hopefully heal a fractured group of friends turned into little more than a fight as his temper got the best of him. For weeks it built up inside him, this anger and resentment. But the way he'd gone after Kim wasn't- he shook his head, feeling like a world-class asshole.

He didn't regret what he was angry about, only how he presented it to the girl he considered a sister in every way, one who was still heartbroken and livid. In all the years of their friendship he could count on one hand with fingers left over how many times they truly were angry at each other.

Then he heard dribbling approaching. Turning around he found Adam walking onto the court; yet another strained friendship that hadn't healed. They greeted each other with a polite nod, and then Zack followed Adam's shot, a miss, with a rebound of his ball back to him back to him.

"Thanks."

Ever blunt, Zack just dove right in, "On a scale of one to ten, with one being Count Chocula and ten being Darth Vader, how bad was I tonight?"

Blinking, Adam considered the question. "The things you said… is that how you really feel?"

Zack gave a nod, and then bounced his ball hard. The sound echoed around the court. "But I think I said it all wrong. I yelled and shouted and was so angry… I've never talked that way to her before and I think I made things worse. I know shouting doesn't exactly make for a conversation where both people listen to each other."

"You were a 242 on the asshole meter, br-… Zack." He'd almost called him bro; still wasn't used to how much things had changed. It still hurt, no matter how much he hid it. "She feels like all of you are against her."

"We aren't!" Zack defied, the notion absurd. "I have loved Kim since we were in elementary school. Anytime either of us have ever needed the other, we were there. No questions asked, no matter what was else going on. I love her and she should know that after all these years."

Adam could tell Zack was being honest. But he still wasn't seeing the forest for the trees. "You sided with the guy that cheated on her and broke her heart."

"I only said I don't think he should lose his role as leader or be forced into leaving the team. That is it. Period. And I am so fucking sick of defending that one point."

Raising his hands defensively, Adam said, "Hey, I get you. I'm sick and tired of saying that all I meant when we first discussed this was that if anyone should leave – not _that_ I wanted anyone to leave – but if someone did, it should be the person who did the crime. But apparently I'm Judas Park."

After the initial arguments had passed, Zack knew Adam was right and felt more than a little guilt over the freeze-out the guys placed on him. Maybe tonight was a good place to start talking again. "I'm thinking of going over to Aisha's house tomorrow to apologize to Kim for how I acted. I could have said what I felt without acting like I was biting her head off. Maybe take her some flowers. You think that would be a good idea?"

"You're really asking me?"

"Well, you seem as close to Kim as anyone these days."

He was, and that was a great plus in his life. "I think it's a good idea. But, um… look, just be nice to her. She's been through a lot and thinks everything is her fault."

"Tommy made his bed, not Kim. She should know that."

Adam sighed, not sure if what he was going to say would start another argument or actually help. "She sees all you guys taking up for Tommy, and to her that means you all feel he didn't do anything wrong. So to her this must mean it's all her fault."

Zack just stared at him like he grew a second head. "That's crazy."

"I agree, but Tommy was her first love and he betrayed her. She is still hurt and her self-esteem's in the toilet right now. Coupled with Jason's not telling her as soon as he found out, and then you and Rocky taking up for him… all of it just has her in a very bad place right now. She's fighting it, but the pain is still there."

He'd seen it in her brown eyes, the sorrow and heartache. "This is all Tommy's fault. Kim isn't to blame for what he did."

"You should tell her that… minus the recent obligatory 'but he's still a great friend.'"

"He's been a great friend to me since the day we met, and one huge mistake isn't going to make me turn my back on him," Zack declared. "And for the record, I never turned my back on Kim either. I tried seeing Kim every day for a week and left like eight messages on her answering machine."

Adam held up his hands. "Hey, I know all about trying to make amends and expressing yourself to people who don't want to even try and listen."

There wasn't anything Zack could say after that, as Adam's point was made. "There's a lot of screwing up to go around," he admitted. "Look, man. I'm sorry for how I've avoided you. I'm sorry for all of it. You didn't deserve to be thrown away the way we did… and we talk about it a lot, all of us, even Tommy." While the Black Ranger didn't appear to care, Zack could tell he did. "Tommy fucked up royally. If you think he doesn't know that, or isn't grieving and sorry, then you never knew him at all. I know you're hurt and pissed at all of us, but the reality is we were all bros for a long time before Tommy messed up. We had each other's backs through whatever. The consequences of his fuck-up are that he lost the girl he loved, lost most of his gal friends, lost the Harts' respect, his team is fractured, and he's lonely. Now he deserves all of that, no question. But don't go around acting like Tommy is just prancing around as if nothing happened. He's hurting. Not nearly as bad as Kim, but he is."

"I don't ca-"

"Stop it," Zack halted him. "You're hurting, too. You're angry and pissed and you have every right to be. We were wrong in how we treated you, and you're wrong in how you see Tommy. There are two sides to every story, but no one's talking and that's the big problem. You and Tommy need to talk one-on-one to resolve all the anger and jealousy going on."

Adam tilted his head, surprised. "Jealousy? I'm not jealous of him being the leader or anything else."

"No, he's jealous of how much time you spend with Kim, and how close you are. He still loves her deeply."

"Then he shouldn't have cheated."

"Exactly." Zack sighed, standing beside Adam now. "I wish to God he hadn't, but he did. He made a huge mistake and he knows that. He hasn't one time blamed anyone but himself. Believe it or not, he hates himself for what he did. He really does. I hope I never hurt anyone as much as he hurt Kim. But if I did make a mistake one day, I sure hope all my friends don't abandon me. I hope they hold me accountable, but still hold me up when I'm down. No one is perfect or ever will be. I believe he is a good man and will make amends no matter if he gets Kim back or not."

"He doesn't deserve her."

"That's for her to say, not us." This Adam was angry and bitter, a version of him he'd never seen before. How badly had they hurt him… Zack was only now getting a clue how truly messed up the team was. "This is a huge mess, but at least we are all talking now. That's gotta count for something."

Shuffling his feet, Adam asked the one question that burned him up at night. "Do you think I'm a traitor?"

Zack shook his head, sighing. "Not at all. None of the guys do, not even Tommy. I think you're a good bro. I just think we all got caught up in this whirlwind of drama and a lot of us shut out anything that went against what we believed in. I think no matter how much we argue and disagree, we gotta keep talking 'cause not talking is what got us here."

Adam nodded. "Some of these wounds are going to take a long time to heal."

"Yeah, well, that's life. At least we're all trying." He turned to Adam. "If I can get our imperfect leader to talk to you one on one someday soon, would you want to do that?"

"Want, no," he replied. "But there's a lot I want to say to him, and I'm sure he wants to punch me." Zack laughed, and then playfully punched his shoulder. "Would it do any good?"

"Kim doesn't trust us right now, but I hope she gives us a chance. I know you don't trust or like Tommy right now. But I hope both of you give it a chance. You gotta try."

"For the sake of the team, I'll give it a try if he does. But I'm not banking on it."

"Fair enough." Grabbing the ball at Adam's chest, Zack exhaled. "Wanna get a game? One-on-one. Winner owes the loser lunch next week."

Grinning, Adam laughed. "You're on."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As apologies are made, some people begin to have a firmer understanding of what actually went wrong. Nobody has been entirely right; it just took people a long time to realize it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Timeline** : Divergence after Season 3. Kim never left, Zeo never happened. It's their Senior year of high school.
> 
>  **Notes** : Jason, Zack and Trini came back for their Senior year. Kat joined the team. They are alternate Rangers, and assist as necessary.
> 
>  **Genre** : Drama/Angst/Hurt/Comfort – take note, there are no magic answers in this story. It deals with a variety of issues, and people deal with them in a variety of ways.
> 
> Ships (so far): Jason/Trini
> 
>  **A/N: psyco_chick32** – And thus, we get to the chapters that Shawn and I will probably kill each other over one day. I'm predicting Morphicon.
> 
>  **A/N: Shawn30** – Friendships evolve in the most interesting ways

**Campbell House**   
**Sunday, October: Week 2  
10 a.m.**

Rocky trailed Adam up the driveway and into the Campbells' back yard, feeling incredibly out of place. It was a strange, unwanted feeling given that for 14 years he, Adam and Aisha pretty much had open-door policies.

Of course, that was before World War III erupted between the Rangers, putting them effectively on separate sides. They'd _never_ fought like that before.

Rocky sighed. "Are you sure about this?" He hadn't been around Aisha lately, but the Yellow Ranger's temper had been the reason why, and he was certain the fights the night before hadn't made things much better. Even if he had been able to finally give Kim a hug, everything that went down afterward made him wonder if he was welcome at this late-morning pow-wow.

"Why not?" Adam shrugged. "You were one of the guys who _didn't_ yell at her yesterday. You're probably more welcome than the rest of 'em. Besides," he said dryly, "Zack supposedly plans on swinging by today to apologize, and Jase went home with her last night. She could probably use a friendly face."

Rocky's brow furrowed at Adam's assessment. The Black Ranger had never been the most confident of the guys when it came to girls – especially when judging what they wanted or needed, given how independent Aisha was – but he talked about Kim like it was second nature.

Adam strode across the porch and rapped on the sliding glass door. Rocky came up behind his friend to see Aisha flipping the lock, and held his breath. It wasn't like he'd gotten any further any other time he'd tried to visit. But when Adam slid open the door, she simply eyed Rocky and shrugged before turning back to Adam.

"I'm glad you're here. Mom and dad are gone, and Kim needs hugs. She's in the front, acting all bummed out."

Adam sighed and rolled his eyes, wandering to the living room. Aisha and Rocky hung back; Aisha to get some cereal, Rocky because he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now. The silence between them was beyond uncomfortable, and he couldn't figure out why. He just wanted things back to the way they were.

"So, how's she doing?" he awkwardly attempted.

"Kim?" When Rocky nodded, she sighed. "Been better. Been worse, though. I think the stuff last night has her feeling really guilty about everything."

"That's stupid; it's not really her fault," he pointed out, a bit baffled. "I mean, yeah, she pushed us away, but that's really the only thing she did." Then he shrugged, "And what she said to Tommy was really cruel. But what he did was worse, and I'm sure he knows that."

"She thinks…" Aisha pursed her lips, trying to figure out if she should explain how hurt Kim still was, and how convoluted things had become in her eyes. For a moment, she wondered if he really cared; it was hard to change mind-sets when it came to the guys. But he was at least pretending to be concerned, and maybe he could explain it to Jason and Zack. "She thinks Tommy cheated because of her… because she wasn't pretty enough or slutty enough or smart enough or whatever." Seeing his incredulous look, she nodded. "Oh, yeah, I know. We _all_ know it's not true; that Tommy cheated because he's a scumbag who needed a place to put his dick, and didn't care whether or not his girlfriend found out." She didn't give Rocky a chance to refute her claim. "But it's the way she thinks, and it'll take some time to get it through her head that it's wrong. It'll happen, eventually."

He nodded, unwilling to rock the boat any more than he had. Another heavy silence fell between them, and Rocky began to fidget.

"I'm gonna go see how they're doing," he finally offered.

Aisha nodded, chopping a banana into her bowl of Cheerios. "'kay." She looked up as he walked out, admiring the way his shorts hugged his ass… then sighed. Terri was a lucky woman.

The Red Ranger nearly skidded to a halt at the sight that greeted him in the living room, his jaw dropping slightly. Adam sat on the end of the couch, smooshed between the arm and Kimberly, who leaned against him. His arm was around her, his thumb tracing soothing circles on her shoulder.

What was weirdest was how _comfortable_ Adam looked as he murmured to her, getting a nod or two in response, though he couldn't hear what either were saying.

Trini noticed him standing in the doorway and waved him in, encouraging him to sit down. The television was on a channel that would appear strange to anybody but them: an intergalactic news feed from KO-35 they could connect to via a signal de-scrambler Billy built. "Hey, we're on."

"Yup. You guys look good."

Images of the Earth Rangers at the jail break flashed across the screen, an impressive display of zords and hand-to-hand skills. It appeared the news crews had arrived just as the battle escalated; Kim had been forced to land her zord and help take on the hoard of escapees trying to get out to the pods that had arrived. Aisha kept them from opening up while Kim took the offensive, weapons at the ready. From where she sat, Kim let out a muffled chuckle as the Pink Ranger took down an array of armed felons with her Power Bow. "That was totally a mistake."

"A mistake? If so, you make it look good," Rocky laughed, turning to the young woman. "You kicked ass yesterday."

"I only meant to hit one of 'em. That ugly gray guy shoved me, and I missed my original shot… instead, the arrows ricocheted. I mean, it worked, but I didn't mean to do it."

"That'll be our little secret," he responded with a wink. Kim smiled and it filled him with a small bit of warmth; no matter how strange it was to see her cuddled up against his best friend, she looked comfortable. Happy, sort of, or at least content. Relaxed, at the very least, and that was a hopeful sign. "So," he asked, grabbing her outstretched foot and shaking it back and forth lightly, drawing a giggle from her, "how you doin', pinkie?"

Kim shrugged lightly, pushing herself up off Adam; he grunted when her elbow accidentally dug into his ribs. "I'm hanging in there." Her words to Jason from the night before surfaced in her mind, and she forced a smile. "I… I'm sorry, by the way. For being so bitchy and mean lately, and for not letting you guys explain yourself. I was just…" She floundered a bit, unable to describe her concerns without starting another fight.

To her relief, he simply shook his head. "Nah, it's all good. I get it. I got sisters; I know how you girls can be," he teased, making sure she realized he was joking. " _More_ importantly," he stressed, remembering what Aisha said, "you know none of this is your fault, right? Tommy was the one who fucked up, not you. You didn't deserve what happened and you did not thing wrong."

Kim blinked. It was the first time she'd ever heard one of the guys just flat-out say that Tommy was wrong, without some sort of qualifier or "but" at the end of the sentence. It was…

Nice.

She swallowed, eyes wandering to where Aisha had joined Trini on the couch. Both girls were nodding, and behind her, Adam rubbed her shoulder. "See? I told you so."

"Thanks, Rocko."

About an hour later, Rocky and Adam waved their good-byes and stepped on the porch. Adam had explained a little of his conversation with his predecessor the night before, and they hoped to get well away before Zack showed up.

After a moment, Rocky looked over at his best friend. "You know, I gotta say… Tommy would be pissed if he saw how close you've gotten to Kim. I mean, really. You guys were all but cuddling on the couch."

Adam rolled his eyes. "Oh, forgive me for caring more about Kim's needs than Tommy's misplaced possessiveness. He has no room to talk considering he fucked Jenny without even thinking about what it would do to Kim." He caught the Red Ranger's mildly shocked expression and shrugged. "Rocky, Tommy wouldn't piss on me if I were on fire. Last night, he apologized and was back to dissing me not even five minutes later. Why bother wasting the energy to try when he's not going to? He won't appreciate it… but Kim does, so I do what's going to work."

Rocky blinked, taken aback. The Black Ranger wasn't always so outspoken. Then again, things had changed a lot.

"You know how you guys were upset that Kim wouldn't talk to you?" Rocky nodded. "Well, Tommy and the other guys did the same to me. I tried to make nice with Tommy, and he wanted jack shit to do with me. You guys rallied around Tommy because he let you support him… I'm doing the same thing, just with Kim." There wasn't much Rocky could say to that. Adam rolled his shoulders. "Anyway, you wanted to spar? Let's get going."

* * *

 **Campbell House  
Sunday, October: Week 2  
1:10 p.m.**

It was just after one when Jason rapped on the front door. After everything the night before, and a bit of self-reflection after speaking with Kim, he felt ready to tackle all of her issues and maybe finally get this whole situation sorted out.

The door opened to reveal Aisha with a wary look on her face. She looked him up and down; he glared when she seemed unwilling to step aside.

Finally, she let him in. "Kim!" she hollered into the living room. "The third of the Perfect Male Parade has arrived!"

"Be nice!" Trini yelled back, making Aisha mutter under her breath.

"Third?"

"Well, fourth," she clarified. Rocky and Adam were here early this morning, then Zack came by earlier," Aisha said with a hint of a smile. "Kim was pretty surprised when he brought flowers for her. Can you one-up the daisies?"

Rolling his eyes, Jason strode past her down the hallway to where he could hear Kim, Trini and Kat chatting. Kim laughed and he smiled, tossing his offering from one hand to another. That girly giggle had been in short supply as of late. Trini held open her arms; he gratefully gave her a hug before nudging her over to make room on the couch for him.

"Hm, maybe something like that, but in blue?" Kat asked Kim, tapping at a cardigan in the magazine in front of them.

Kim nodded. "That would really bring out your eyes. I think I saw those at Nordstrom's last time I was there… we should go tomorrow. They're having a sale, I think."

"Sounds good. Trini, Aisha, would you like to come?"

"Well, duh."

"Sure," Trini added. Then she turned to Jason, "Want to come carry bags?"

"Not on your life," he swore. "With the damage you four will do? No, no, no."

Kim snorted. "We're not that bad."

Jason was content to sit back and let the girls talk for a while more; just taking in the atmosphere he had been denied for far too long. It was always a pleasure to have Trini nearby, and Kat was a sweetheart. Kim and Aisha were still tense, though, as if they anticipated a fight. He hoped with a bit of time, they'd relax.

"Oh, look at the time. We should get going, Aisha," Kat broke in about an hour later. "The kids will be disappointed if we're late."

"Right." Aisha eyed Jason suspiciously. "Kim, we'll be back in a few hours… we signed up to take the shelter kids to the zoo. You sure you don't want to come?"

The Pink Ranger looked sorely tempted, but caught Jason's expression and shook her head. "Nah, I'll be fine. Thank you, though."

Aisha managed one more warning look – undaunted by Trini's increasingly frustrated attitude – before leaving the three original Rangers behind. Trini took off a few minutes later, giving Kim a reassuring smile before teleporting to the Command Center to get some follow-up work done on the prison break.

Silence stretched between the two for a long while – neither could give a specific time frame, but each was lost in thought. Jason wondered, for what was far from the first time, how everything had gone so wrong. Kim had never been so awkward or even uncomfortable around him. He was there when boys first started noticing her (much to his displeasure) and when her family had broken apart. He'd seen her at her best, winning gymnastic meets and even getting her orange belt in karate, and her worst… up until now. Now she seemed stiff, as though she wasn't sure what to say, or was nervous that he would yell at her or something.

For her part, Kim… well, _was_. She was waiting for him to start yelling, to start reiterating what she had done wrong. She also knew that Jason believed in Tommy, and believed he'd never do something to hurt her of his own accord. And because of that, it was probably easier to believe it was all her fault… and he wouldn't be alone, no matter what Trini, Aisha, Adam and Kat said.

Jason leaned back onto the arm of the couch, shifting so he could face her head-on. "Talk to me, Kimberly."

"About what?"

He stifled a sigh. They were all sighing too much. "Something. Anything?" He tried to keep his voice light when all he wanted to do was grab her by the shoulders and shake her out of this funk. "We haven't talked a lot lately and I miss it."

She let out a small smile and chose to touch on a relatively safe topic. "I got accepted to Sac State."

He stared. How did he not know this? Even Trini hadn't said anything and he was honestly hurt at the omission. "Really? When did you find out?"

"A week or so ago," she responded with a shrug. "I've been encouraged to apply to University of Miami, too. Their coach tried to recruit me at the L.A. meet a couple weeks ago."

"Are you going to?"

"Dunno yet. I'm not sure what I want to study… but I've been thinking about going into criminal justice."

Jason was shocked yet again by this diminutive woman. Had things changed so much in a month? Or had they been drifting apart before then? "Since when?"

"Well, I've wanted to go into physical education or maybe medicine, as a physical therapist. But there's something about Rangering that I love, and the jail-break was interesting. It really got my blood pumping. I feel alive when I'm doing something like that. Maybe I could eventually join a SWAT team or something."

"That's… unexpected." He wasn't quite sure what to say. The idea of Kim putting herself in the line of fire was disturbing. Being a Ranger was one thing; she had a team to protect her. Sure, she'd have one as a cop, but they weren't people he knew and trusted. He made a face. "I don't like it."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you don't."

"Being a doctor is safer," he pointed out. "Not that I don't think you could do it, but it's really dangerous."

"Being a SWAT team sharpshooter would be something I'm decent at, thought," she refuted. "I proved that last night. I would have less to study."

He crossed his arms and grumbled. Knowing her, if he kept complaining, she'd do it just to spite him and prove she could. "So what else is new?"

"Nothing, really. Same old, same old." Kim wriggled in her seat, painfully aware of his eyes on her. Facing Rocky hadn't been difficult, and she'd had Adam, Aisha and Trini to run interference. Talking to Zack had been a trial after the blow up the night before, but the Zack-Man was nothing if not eloquent, and made the quick walk around the block as they chatted smooth and comfortable. And now Jason… she knew they were trying their hardest to show that they cared, and trying to reconnect, but she was staring to feeling overwhelmed with visit after visit after visit. To say she was thrilled to have to face all three of them one-on-one in the same day was a massive overstatement. "You?" She wasn't quite sure what else to say.

He wished she would lighten up; it felt like he was the only one trying. "The same. Spending a lot of time hanging with the guys, planning for Trini's birthday next week."

Her ears perked up at that. "Oh? Doing anything fun? For Trini, I mean," she hurried to clarify. She didn't need to hear about all the great times the guys were having with Tommy. Double-dates and the like – not necessary information. But Trini's birthday was important. A stray memory of Tommy's Valentine's Day surprise – it was a shock he'd remembered, much less the amazing birthday dinner he'd pulled off before the dance – flickered through her head before she could squash it down. "Any sweet surprises in store?"

"Well, I've been thinking about taking her to Leona's again," he said thoughtfully. Then a frown crossed his face. "But… well, our last date there didn't exactly end well."

Kim smirked as she recalled Trini's rage when she came back to describe how she'd thrown her soda in Jason's face before leaving in a huff. Her amusement fled quickly. "I'm sorry about that."

He'd been happy to see the smile, and was curious when her face fell; even more curious when she apologized. "Why? You weren't there."

"Trini said you guys were arguing about me," she pointed out. "If I hadn't been so stubborn from the beginning, you guys would have had a nice night."

"No!" Jason reached out and snagged her hand. "Why would you even say that?"

Kim looked away, but not before Jason could see her face was flushed. "Because it's true. I screwed up, and it really messed with your relationship. I'm sorry."

"Kim, you did nothing wrong!" He tugged on her arm a little bit to make sure she was paying attention. "I mean… okay, yeah, so you kinda did when you wouldn't talk to us." Her eyes dropped and she nodded in acknowledgement, and he mentally kicked himself. "No, no, I mean…" He made a frustrated noise, pursing his lips and taking a second to get his thoughts in order. "Look. What happened between Trini and me was just between us. And if you must know, we were arguing more about Tommy and Adam than you."

She was relentless. "Yeah, but if Adam hadn't-"

"Stop it!" Kim leaned back a bit, eying Jason warily. He'd rarely taken that tone of voice with her but he had to find a way to shut her up. He met her look quietly, examining her as though seeing her for the first time. It was a long while before he spoke again. "You really do blame yourself, don't you?"

Kim stared at him. "Why shouldn't I? It _is_ my fault," she insisted. "You guys were fighting over me, and Adam, and… that wouldn't have happened if Tommy hadn't… If I had been prettier or smarter or sexier or given it up to Tommy sooner-"

Jason held up his hand to stop her. He was inwardly seething to hear her say stuff like that – it was so far from true it wasn't funny. It was painful. "Kim, you're beau- gorgeous," he amended. "All the guys in school think so. Hell, even Ben Greenstein thinks you're good-looking, and he's gay!" He shook his head. "You're popular and sweet, and the damned class president. You couldn't be more loveable. Tommy cheated because he was a selfish dumbass. He's a good guy that made a horrible mistake."

Kim snorted at the "good guy" comment, and Jason sighed. "He is. You know that."

She didn't respond, crossing her arms instead and turning to look out the window. It was obvious she wouldn't hear a word sticking up for him, and he bit his tongue. It was second nature to defend his bro, but he'd have to do it when she was more likely to listen. Apparently Tommy was a non-negotiable subject, at least when it came to the man's pros.

Yet another tense silence stretched between the two of them. Jason sighed, wondering angrily if this was even worth the effort. He'd never have thought that in the past; he'd butted heads with her many times, but she hadn't been so very obstinate.

"I brought you some Reese's Pieces," he mentioned, tossing the bag into her lap. Candy: a topic uncomplicated, unremarkable and entirely unrelated to the problems at hand.

Kim looked down and poked at the bag, a small smile coming out again. "Thank you. It was sweet of you."

"Not a problem."

She let out a deep breath. "So, Trini's birthday?"

Jason leaped to accept the subject change. "Yeah. I picked up some extra classes at the Juice Bar, and found an old check from Grandma Scott. It's enough for dinner, some flowers and a gift… I'm thinking maybe a necklace?"

Kim smiled wistfully. "A topaz? Oh, you should get her a locket!"

"I was thinking something a bit manlier."

"Um, Trini is not a man." She spoke slowly, enunciating each word like she thought he was an idiot.

"I know that," he defended. "I meant when I was buying it."

Her eyes rolled back. "Oh good God. I'm taking Trini shopping tomorrow and I'll take her window-gazing. I'll tell you what catches her eye."

He managed a positively radiant smile at that. She was being helpful, offering to assist him when it came to his girlfriend and making amends. She wanted to be a part of his life. She was taking steps.

Finally, there was some progress!

"I'd like that," he agreed. "It'd be a lot of help and I know you'll pick out something she likes."

"You know that means you'd have to step into a store with me," she pointed out. "Maybe even the mall."

His lips pursed. "I think I like this idea a little less now…"

She slapped his arm, laughing softly. "Don't be a jerk. I'm not that bad."

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't go telling her what you're up to."

She glowered. "I can be subtle! And sneaky! I can keep a secret just as well as you can!" As the words came out of her mouth, she cringed, catching their possible double-meaning. And just like that, without meaning to, the tension was back. They looked away; Kim awash with anger and hurt all over again, and Jason wincing at the oh-so-familiar feeling of guilt.

Kim fidgeted, braiding and unbraiding the fringe on the blanket draped over the back of the couch before clearing her throat. "I… I have a question." Her voice sounded small, like she was waiting for him to shoot her down, and it was killing him already. "And I mean, you don't have to answer if you don't want, and I know I already-"

"What, Kim?"

She stared at him out of the corner of her eye. "Did… um, before everything happened… did Tommy ever cheat on me before?" She hastened to add, "I mean that you know about. That he told you, and you just didn't tell me because he had asked."

Jason stared at her like she had grown a third eye. "You think I'd just watch him date you if I had any reason to believe he was banging some girl on the side?" He was so offended at the accusation; he couldn't fathom why this was even an answer she needed.

"It's what you did for half a week! He was going above and beyond, treating me like a queen, and you never batted an eye! So why wouldn't he do it before? Jesus, Jason! I have no way of knowing how long you would have let him keep it a secret! He would have kept convincing himself it was better than I didn't know, and kept trying to butter me up. Is it really so shocking for me to think he could have done this before? That asshole didn't have the decency to tell me!"

He glared. "Tommy loves you. Hurting you was the very last thing he has ever wanted to do, and it is tearing him up that he caused you pain. I don't think he could live with himself if he had done this before."

"Why not? Dad cheated for _years_ before the divorce! Tommy could have, too! He's managed to keep a lot of secrets over the years, tried to kill us a couple times. He's always believed he's above the rules!"

Jason stood, raging outwardly now at the words coming out of her mouth. "You can really sit there and say things like that about him? You once swore you loved him more than anything else on the world, now you act as though he's less than scum. What the hell? It's like I don't even know who you are any more."

Kim rose and took a step closer to him, fists balled. Her voice was no less venomous despite the hissed tone. "Maybe you never did."

He gaped at the accusation.

"If you think I would just shove what he did to me under the rug? Ignore it? Pretend like it never happened? Then you know jack shit about me. You have absolutely no right to tell me how to deal with this. So fuck him, and fuck you!" She whirled and stomped up the stairs.

Jason shoved into his shoes and stormed out of the house. He needed a work-out.

* * *

 **Angel Grove Youth Center  
Sunday, October: Week 2  
2:40 p.m.**

Grimacing with exertion, Jason pounded the punching bag like it was trying to kill him, relentlessly slamming lefts and rights into it as the bag swayed from its ceiling mount. "I don't even know why I fucking keep trying," he swore while beating the bag until sweat rolled off his face and down his shirtless back. "I swear if I see one more eye-roll or glare 'cause I said something in some way they don't like, even though apparently I can't say _anything_ in the way they like, I am just going to scream!"

Tommy and Zack were seated a couple of feet away, so far just watching and listening as Jason ranted. It wasn't often the calm, cool, and collected Red Ranger got so angry he cursed. The ever-disciplined former leader was normally above such things.

"Kim had the nerve to ask me if _you_ had cheated on her before and if I hid it!" Jason raged, glaring at Tommy, who could only bow his head in regret. "As If I would sit there and let you fuck some other girl behind her back for however long, all the while lying to her face each day and looking the other way." He shook his head before pounding the bag with a stiff right that shook the ceiling mount. Utter frustration set his shoulders and gaze. "Ten years of being her brother… I mess up _one_ time and now I would just let people hurt her on purpose and look the other way? Well, _fuck that!_ " His fist bashed the ever-living hell out of the punching bag again, rage channeling itself through his body.

Tommy rose from his chair, hands in his pockets. He hated having to remind his best friend that, "Bro, I tried to be extra sweet to Kim right after I cheated. You knew what happened and didn't say anything."

"Yeah, but you swore you were gonna tell her in a few days. You promised me… shit, you shouldn't have done any of this in the first damn place!"

"You're right," Tommy agreed, nodding. Even while he was still bitterly angry over what Kim said to him on the rooftop, he had to acknowledge his wrongdoing that started all of this. "I kept telling myself I would figure out the best way to tell her and not hurt her, but deep down I was a coward and didn't know what to do. I'm sorry for putting you in the middle of this."

Wiping sweat from his brow, Jason slumped down on the weight bench, rubbing his hand over his face. "I made my own bed, Tommy. I should have told Kim the second you confessed to me… or marched you over there and forced you to do it yourself."

Guilt ate away at the White Ranger. "I wish you had. I wish none of this ever happened, but it did. And you're pissed at Kim for doubting you, but she has a reason to… just like she does with me. Even though we know we would never do it again, she doesn't. Trust me, that's the bitterest pill I have ever swallowed."

"I went over there to try and talk things out," Jason argued. "I put forth the effort, but I'm met with attitude no matter what I say or do."

"That's enough, Jase!" Zack finally interjected, now standing between the guys. It was time for tough love, no matter how it came out. "Look, you both want there to be a magic button to push to fix all of Kim's hurt feelings and pain. But it doesn't exist. It never has and it never will. The hard, cold reality is that Kim does not trust us anymore. She is trying to listen more, but she is still very heartbroken and feels betrayed."

Tommy and Jason sat quietly, giving him the floor. Lord knows he knew more about girls than they did.

"Trust me; girls don't just get over things like that in a flash. The harder we all push, the farther she will run away. Then the day will come where she will simply not want any of us around her, period."

Jason sighed, "I tried calling her every damn day and going by Aisha's house to see her."

"I was right there with you, and I wish she had seen us. But that's what I mean by pushing," Zack said. "She thinks we all just ignored how deeply Tommy hurt her. We were finally able to tell her we didn't. But now that she is willing to listen to us, we have to be patient and not push. Like, super patient. Like, seriously, leave Kim alone and let her seek us out when she wants to talk or interact. Otherwise you're gonna keep fighting… until one day she washes her hands of you entirely. I know how much both of you love her and don't want that. It's why I only swung by to say I was sorry, explain myself, and got the heck outta dodge."

Jason frowned. He couldn't exactly argue that bit of logic. The thought of completely losing Kim from his life was heart-breaking. His voice lowered as he asked, "How could she think I would just let someone hurt her?"

"Because in a way, you did," Tommy hated to point out, his gaze fallen. "I cheated on her with Jenny and told you about it first. You kept my secret and that hurt her. And then Jenny… The person honest with her about it was the one person she probably wanted to hear it from the least. All that we can do is give her space. We've all apologized. I know it ain't easy, but like Zack said… if we keep pushing, she will turn her back on us all for good."

"So listen to me, since I'm the only guy in this room who understands women," Zack half-laughed to get their attention. He got small smiles from both his bros. "Kim is still very hurt, humiliated, and feels guilty for just about everything going wrong in the team. All of us want to tell her how wrong she is for thinking that, but just doesn't want to hear it from us. She needs to accept and know that in her own time. So we need to let the girls and Adam help her get past this. Tell her your love her from time to time, but stop with all the visits and phone calls. No forcing anything. Let her reach out to us when she is ready."

"What if she never does?" Jason hated to imagine it, but still wondered.

Zack shook his head. "She will. She wouldn't be so pissed if she didn't still care."

"While the Princess Frog isn't my favorite guy," Tommy sarcastically joked, "he's been wonderful to her in all of this. Hopefully over time we'll get to talk to her more and well, they say time heals all wounds. I sincerely hope that's the case here."

Jason snickered, "So what you're saying is the very best thing we can do… is nothing?"

"Take it from me: sometimes nothing works more wonders with girls." Zack offered his sage advice with a smile. But then he added seriously, "Tommy, if you ever hurt Kim again I will disown and likely kill you."

"That's only if I don't get to you first," Jason added. "I am trusting you this one time and one time only to never, ever fuck up like this again."

Tommy gave a nod. "Everything that's happened since that stupid night I spent with Jenny is all my fault. I promise you, I swear it, if Kim ever gives me a second chance – even if it's just friendship only – I won't ever hurt her again. I truly regret what I did, and I won't push Kim or the girls or Princess…"

" _Adam_ , you dick," Zack laughed.

Tommy held his hands up. "Alright, _Adam_. Yeah, I know, he's another thing I gotta make peace with. But I'll keep the peace with Adam, too. I don't want this team or the family fractured any more than it already is. If all Kim can ever give me is friendship, I'll take it and walk away. No questions asked."

"You know that Adam will be a part of Kim's life now, right? He isn't going anywhere," Zack pointed out.

"Yeah, I get it. I may not like it, but I get it," Tommy sighed. "And you know what? I have been a dick to him. He was a damn good friend to me for a long time. I'm just jealous of how close they are and how much time they spend together. But that isn't right and I know it. He's stood by her side just like you guys stood by me. And as badly as I needed that, Kim probably needed it ten times as bad."

Zack nodded. "Exactly."

"I still want to punch him though."

"I'm guessing the feeling is mutual," Jason said, and then teased, "In this corner, Sexually Transmitted Diseased Falcon. And in the other, Princess Frog. Let the battle begin."

"Seriously, bro," Zack said. "You need to reach out to Adam, and then you two need to hammer out everything. 'cause right now you pretty much hate each other's guts. And before you cheated, you two never had words one single time. You're actually kinda alike in a lot of ways. Also, he's less jerky and you're more Princessy than him."

Jokes aside, Tommy knew that was the truth. Adam hadn't been anything other than a great friend to him. While they would always see some things differently, the bad feelings between them never felt right to him. Especially lately. "I'm going to give him a call sometime soon. We'll talk and… well, we'll talk out everything alone. Honestly, much as it sounds weird coming from me, I kinda miss him. I just think we need to yell at each other a bit."

"And you need to get rid of that disease," Jason teased.

"Hey, I do not have a disease."

Zack shrugged. "The cheerleaders say different. I don't drink after you anymore, just to play it safe."

Tommy defended his health status in a humorous debate with Zack while Jason looked on, feeling a bit more at ease. Being a guy wasn't easy, and figuring out girls only made it that much harder. Kimberly deserved his very best, and he missed her terribly and had no one to blame for that but himself. His actions, or lack thereof, caused this rift and there was no quick-fix. But over time, he was committed to regaining her trust and friendship.

He truly loved her like his sister and wanted to make sure she never doubted that again.

* * *

 **Hillard House  
Sunday, October: Week 2  
10:10 p.m.**

Having just thrown on an old San Francisco 49'ers jersey and jeans, Tommy drove here as fast as he could.

Slipping past the gate that led into the Hillard's modest backyard, Tommy trailed the curving stone pathway until he found Katherine seated on a small bench beneath a broad oak tree that hung clear over the next door neighbor's yard as well.

Although all he could see was the back of her blond ponytail, the haunted tone of her trembling voice thirty minutes ago when she called him painted a clear picture of her troubled mood tonight. She called in her mark; an ear for an ear on a night she said was one of her worst. But she'd been there for him on one of his, and so he wanted to return the favor.

Deep down in a place some of his friends didn't believe existed anymore, it felt really good to be needed by someone.

Nightfall was upon them, with the merest hint of a chill in the air as Tommy's footsteps trampled fallen leafs. He rounded the bench, and then took a seat beside Katherine. The first thing he noticed was that she'd been crying recently, and was seemingly lost in her own thoughts. Her small hands held three sheets of notepad paper with what looked like handwriting on them.

He wasn't nearly as confident in how to comfort someone as he was in the martial arts, but common sense told him she needed to lead the way tonight. So he held his peace and simply sat next to her, offering his silent support of whatever she was going through.

"Joseph wrote me a letter," Katherine detailed, her voice gently cracking with emotion as the sheets of paper dangled from her fingertips. She lifted her head, turning to Tommy. "I'm sorry for calling you so late. I know it's after ten."

"You were there for me, Kat," he reminded her as a brushing gust of wind caressed their faces. "Just returning the favor for a friend."

"Thank you." She favored him with an appreciative expression, and then a small nod. "I just… no one else knows about what happened between me and my ex. I've been so ashamed of sharing it with anyone, and then with what you're all going through now… I didn't know who else to call… and I didn't _want_ to call anyone but you."

The trust she placed in him, Tommy hoped he'd be able to live up too. He could certainly relate to her, knowing exactly how it felt to want to talk about certain parts of your life with friends, but maybe only having one or two that you truly felt comfortable sharing it with. Especially the parts that weren't so pretty or sweet or politically correct. "So what did the letter say?"

Tucking a few errant blond strands behind her ear, Katherine gave a sad little laugh, and shut her eyes. "Joseph wrote that he forgives me for cheating on him, and that he would always hold a special place for me in his heart," she began as warm tears descended her cheeks. She sniffled, softly brushing the wetness aside. "He told me I was a good person who had made a mistake, but that he still believed in me and was so thankful to have been a part of my life." The more-than-she-deserved words had shaken her. "He told me that writing the letter was as much for himself as it was for me. It was closure and he needed that, and wanted the same for me. His mother is battling cancer and he said life's too short to hold onto things you can't change."

Tommy wondered if he would have been as kind and gracious. He'd like to think so. "It takes one heck of a person to do that. It sure as hell isn't easy. He sounds like a good man."

"He is." Katherine sighed, and then continued, "Then he talked about Theresa, the new girl he's dating and in love with. He said he's really happy and hopes the same for me. Talked about letting go of all the pain, anger, and bad memories. He's moving forward and wished me well."

Tommy watched her neatly fold the pages of the letter back together, and then set them on the bench beside her. The Hillards' two-story home was dark behind them save for a single kitchen light on. Both her parents worked nights, but trusted their daughter on her own. "So how does that letter make you feel?"

"Your impression of Oprah is so cute," she teased lightly, smiling for the first time tonight. Then she sat back and shrugged. "He didn't have to write the letter, but I'm glad he did. I doubt we could have had this talk on the phone."

Katherine then answered his question, "I'm appreciative that he doesn't hate my guts. I'm still feeling guilty that I hurt him so badly, because he never, ever deserved that. I'm thankful that he cared enough to reach out to me at all. I'm glad that he seems so happy and found someone. And I'm sure now that I'm not in love with him anymore, but I'm kinda jealous that he moved on so fast and is in love again already. I know I don't have the right to feel that way, but I do."

Though he wasn't privy to how close Alex and Kim truly were, he knew how she felt all too well. "You're only human, Kat. You feel how you feel. You can't change that."

Just having him here was helping her, if only to have another person to rant to and not be judged by. She stood to her feet, needing to move in order to compose her tumultuous thoughts. "It's not like I want him back. Deep down I'm happy he's found someone else, and I hope she never, ever hurts him. He's a really good guy."

Tommy's eyes followed her as she paced in front of him. "You're sure you don't want to fight for him?"

"You only fight for people you're still in love with. I have no doubts about where I stand."

"Are you going to write him back?"

"…eventually," she acknowledged. "I think I owe him that. Just to thank him for his kindness and honesty. Then that chapter of my life will be closed for good."

Tommy nodded. "Kat, I know what I'm about to say may sound strange coming from me, but it's time you forgave yourself." She stood in front of him now, mulling over the concept, her slender arms crossed to ward off the night air. Her baby blue eyes were as sad as he'd ever seen them. "You cheated on Joseph and broke his heart. But he has forgiven you and is moving on. You know you won't ever do anything like that to anyone ever again. You've learned your lesson. It's time to let go and look forward like he's doing now. There's nothing more you can do."

Katherine's gaze challenged him, as did her words. "Like you're doing?"

Tommy didn't miss a beat. "The circumstances are different."

"How so? You cheated on Kimberly. You apologized. You learned your lesson. But you haven't forgiven yourself," she accused rather than asked, sure of her assessment of him.

"Kim hasn't forgiven me, and judging by recent events likely won't," he explained with no small amount of bitterness.

"You would never cheat on anyone again."

Tommy snorted, "How do you know that?"

"I can see it in your eyes," Katherine declared without a shred of doubt as their gazes held. Then his bowed. "If you didn't feel that overwhelming guilt for the pain you caused Kimberly… if it didn't hurt you night and day, then you wouldn't care at all. But you do. You see what your betrayal has done to Kim and just about everyone around you. I don't think you'd ever want to go through any of that again, or have it done to you."

He wasn't sure the person she described existed anymore. Tommy threw his hands up, and then let them unceremoniously fall in his lap. "Even Lord Zedd thinks I'm just about to go to the dark side," he half-laughed sarcastically. But there was nothing funny about all the pain he'd caused. "Maybe in time I'll forgive myself, but not right now. I hate what I did… and I'm angry at Kimberly, too!"

The sharp edge lacing his voice said it all. Katherine remembered the cruel thing Kimberly said to him on the Command Center rooftop, knowing all too well how to cut him the deepest. "She's still grieving the loss of your relationship. She felt like everyone and everything was closing in on her and she just lashed out as mean as she could. Deep down, you know she didn't mean what she said."

"Yeah, right," Tommy held little faith in her assessment. "I cheated on her because maybe my real Dad is a piece of dogshit and he didn't want me, but passed the dogshit gene down to me anyway. That's how it felt!"

His hostility was ever apparent. "You're wrong and you know it."

Peering away, Tommy's mood turned cold. "My real parents didn't want me."

"You don't know the circumstances behind that. Assuming won't help. If it means that much to you, then look into it now."

Tommy scowled before revealing something he absolutely hated to. "…I'm afraid."

Katherine blinked. That revelation shook her as she wasn't sure he feared anything. Then the notion felt silly; everyone alive feared something. He was just better at hiding it than most. Maybe they both were in that regard. "There's nothing you could learn about your birth parents that would change the man you are today. You're an amazing, patient teacher. You're the leader of the Rangers. You're a very good friend to me. And I know you're a good man," she boldly stated, and then cracked a small smile. "Albeit deeply flawed… forgetful… can't dance to save your life… bit of an ass…"

"Hey, you're supposed to be making me feel better," he chuckled with a smile.

"I called you over here to make _me_ feel better, remember." A note of breathless tension flared when he rose to face her, suddenly invading her personal space, and she actually had to look up. Graced or cursed with a tad more height than she was ever all that comfortable with, Tommy still loomed taller. For a second, her traitorous eyes fell upon his mouth.

"I'm trying," he declared quietly, his heart beating a bit faster for some unknown reason. Even sad from crying and sans makeup, Katherine was a natural, breathtaking beauty, and if he wasn't seeing things, a faint blush tinged her cheeks. He swallowed hard in the back of his throat as the gentle silence between them hung thick with unspoken… something… something elusive.

And then they both took a step backwards, snickering.

Exhaling as her hands dug deep in the pockets of her jeans, she offered, "Thanks for tonight."

She seemed in a lighter mood, and he sincerely hoped he had some small part in that. When some thought all he'd been able to do lately was hurt people, it felt nice to make someone feel a bit better. "That's what friends are for."

"You know, I wish I could have called the girls and talked about this," she confessed as they stood together, gazing at the bright night sky in a relaxed mood. "I feel like I should have been telling all of them what I told you, but with so much of their conversations lately being about the evils of cheating – and I wholeheartedly agree with that – it's not easy to just up and reveal that 'Hey, I'm a reformed cheater and I'm not the most evil person ever.' I don't know," she sighed. "Whenever they asked me about my past relationships I've been very vague. I just haven't felt comfortable that right now that they wouldn't judge me. And I know that's not fair, because I'm assuming just the same way they did with Jason, Zack, and Rocky."

Shutting his eyes briefly, Tommy inhaled the fresh air. "Your past mistake isn't the sum total of your worth as a human being, or your character."

"Doctor, take thy own advice."

"Dr. Tommy Oliver…" he grinned, rubbing at his chin. "Not a chance in hell."

He had far too nice a smile and she wasn't supposed to think that. Shoving that thought away, she asked, "So tell me something about yourself that I don't know. Then I'll do the same."

Late as it was, he felt up to playing. They both could use the distraction. "As badly as I want to fight for Kimberly and win her back, I'm not sure if I could forgive being cheated on. I hate I feel that way. I want to be able to forgive people, it's just… there's a lot I don't have figured out yet. Some days I don't even know where to start."

"Sometimes I think you never know what you could do or would feel until you're in that position. I've seen how brokenhearted Kim is, and Joseph was. It's terrible what we did to them, and if anyone had hurt me that badly I'd… I guess I hope over time I'd be able to forgive."

Katherine looked to Tommy, considering this vastly complicated man. "Do you want to win Kimberly back because you truly still love her, or to satisfy your sense of guilt that you have to make her happy and get her to forgive you?" His stunned expression was met head-on. "I remember that before I talked things out with my mom I briefly thought about fighting to win Joseph back. I wanted to give him what he wanted and make him happy because I hurt him so badly. But I realized that I wasn't in love with him anymore."

His first thought was to denounce her words, but they were worth giving consideration to. Still, his answer was direct and without fail. "There's no doubt in my heart that I am still in love with Kimberly. I don't want her back just to ease my pain. I want her back because I miss her so much it kills me."

That was exactly the answer she wanted… and envied a little, that he could love someone so much. "Then don't give up."

"May not have a choice," he had to admit.

"Don't give up until there's not one damn thing left to fight for."

Her conviction was admirable. He smiled, "You'd make one hell of a cheerleader."

She rolled her eyes. "You just want to see me in that short skirt." As soon as she said it she wished she hadn't, and then his gaze swept over her and she felt curious about what was going through his mind. "It's my turn."

Tommy nodded silently… banishing bad thoughts and all…

"I'm into someone a lot," she admitted. "I mean, I like someone a lot. I've got a crush and he hasn't shown any interest in make thus far."

Wanting to know who this guy was meant something to him on more than one level. But he could tell she wasn't joking, and he didn't want to pry. "So go for it. Ask him out." Her frown surprised him. "What?"

"I'm afraid of what he'd think of my past with Joseph." When Tommy Oliver smiled it was a thing of sheer beauty, and oftentimes ego. "No, it isn't you," she teased him.

Shrugging, he wasn't hurt in the least. "Look, Galaxies is still open another couple of hours. How about I spring for milkshakes and a couple of bumper car rides. You can tell me all about Mr. Mystery Crush and model cheerleader outfits."

Considering how the night began, getting out of the house for a bit on a school night sounded like fun. "I won't tell you who it is, and no amount of guessing will get me to admit if you're right or not."

"Fine, deal. So what do you say, Katherine?" It was her turn to invade his personal space… close enough that his jaw ticked as he enjoyed a gaze into her blue eyes.

After quiet pause for effect, she purred, "Meow."

He laughed when she walked right past him, and then beckoned for him to follow. Their friendship was something special, that was for sure.

* * *

 **Campbell House, Kim's Room  
Sunday, October: Week 2  
10:00 p.m.**

"Knock, knock," Adam announced as he let himself into Kim's room.

The Pink Ranger was bent over her desk, attempting to glare her science homework into submission. To her frustration, it wasn't working. "Hey." There was a wealth of anger and frustration in that one word, and rather than grabbing the black back pack at the foot of her bed, he flopped onto it.

"Problems?"

"I have a million problems, and you know that more than anybody," she muttered. "Starting with this stupid, stupid physics equation. Why am I taking physics?" she ranted a bit to herself. "I'm going to go into phys ed or gymnastics or police school. What does physics have to do with anything?"

"Trajectory?" Adam tried. "Um… you know, weaponry and stuff?"

"Shut up," she shot back playfully. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

He hefted his back pack. "We were working on Math before that meeting thing, remember? I left it here and didn't think to grab it earlier." His face took on a more serious expression. "Besides, I wanted to make sure you were okay after everything."

She blew her bangs from her face, once again debating cutting her hair. If anything, to show she could pull off anything Jenny could, after the girl came in with a pixie cut even Kim had to admit she wore well. But that was a stupid reason and Aisha had stared at her like she'd lost her mind. So a no-go. Still, his concern was touching. "Awwww. You are totally my new Jason." She crossed the room in a flash to sit next to him. "Today sucked. Not as bad as yesterday, but it still sucked. A lot."

"Aisha said when she came in, you were threatening to dismember Jason," Adam mentioned warily. If she was in a stabby mood, he'd prefer her across the room.

"I _hate_ him!" she shouted, belatedly slapping her hand across her mouth and looking at the door. The Campbells had just gotten home an hour ago from visiting family and were exhausted.

Adam quirked a brow. "For future reference, you are not allowed to call me your new somebody, and then tell me how much you hate them."

Kim shot him a glare. "You know what I meant. You are the _new and improved_ Jason. Jason two-point-oh. You are the Jason CD to the Jason cassette tapes: more complex, better looking, and less likely to unravel and fail on me when I need you the most."

Adam blinked.

"But oh my _God_ he made me so mad today!" Kim began ranting, pacing back and forth in the limited space between her bed, her desk and the closet. "He's forcing all these chats and they're awkward! It's like he thinks just saying 'I'm so sorry!' is going to make everything better and it doesn't!" She sighed and flopped on the bed, looking up at Adam. "Why is Rocky so much more understanding?"

"He has sisters. He knows you girls can be weird when emotional." He grunted as she punched his shoulder in retaliation. "Anyway… at risk of you stabbing me, I think Zack gets it. I don't think he likes it, but he gets it."

"Doesn't seem like it," she muttered petulantly.

"Why not?" Adam wondered. "Really, the Zack one especially. I'm confused."

Kim grumbled. "So… they say that Tommy made a _mistake_ , right?" She spat out the word like it was toxic. "But it was his choice to make and they stand by their ' _bro_ ' making that choice." Adam shrugged; it was close enough for now. "Well, this was _my_ choice. My choice was to not give them a chance to come in here and tell me how sorry Tommy is and what a mistake it was and how he's really a good guy. I didn't need to hear it then. I still don't need to hear it; the only difference is by not letting them say it, _I'm_ the bad guy. So I don't get a choice in the matter if I want their friendship."

She was warming up into her rant now, and Adam leaned back as she began to talk more at him than with him, trying to make sense of the thoughts bundled in her head. It was a common occurrence in the past few weeks. "I really don't understand it, Adam. They say they want to be my friends, but apparently being my friend means that I have to listen to them say whatever they want, and I have no right to ask them _not_ to take up for Tommy to me. I apparently have no right to tell them that no matter how much they might want to worship the ground he fights on, I'm not interested in hearing about how great he supposedly is. My choices don't matter to them… just as long as they get their soapbox." Her face fell. "It's like they don't trust me to know what I want and what I don't. Am I that stupid?"

Adam tilted his head. "Not stupid. Not at all. But…" The look on his face guaranteed she wasn't going to like what came out of his mouth next. "They have a point, sort of. I think it's just getting lost in translation. I mean, they've been your friends for years, right?"

She eyed him for a moment, trying to figure out where he was going for this. If anything, maybe she'd avoid another lecture today. Or maybe she was being too hopeful. "Yeah. For more than ten years."

"So… why would you assume that they would take Tommy's side in things?"

"I didn't!" Kim rolled back to her feet, incensed. "I thought they would stick up for me! I thought they'd think what he did was wrong, and I thought that they were my brothers! I expected them to have my back, and they didn't!"

"How do you know, though?"

Kim stared at Adam like grown a third head. He was _there_. He _saw_ what happened. "Um, I don't know. The way they _didn't have my back?_ " The words came out slowly, one at a time, as though emphasizing each one would make her point better understood. "Jason kept that secret for three days. He and Rocky and Zack leaped to Tommy's defense, according to what Aisha and you and Trini told me."

"They never said he was right," Adam pointed out. "Just that it shouldn't affect his position as leader of the team." When Kim glared at him, he held his hands up defensively. "We know how that turned out, and we know what happened after that. That's not the point though. My question is, don't you think that after all those years as your friend, they deserved the benefit of the doubt?"

A snappy retort died on Kim's tongue as she realized just how serious Adam was. The words mulled around in her head as her anger began to abate. Maybe… just maybe he had a point.

Maybe all the guys did.

Maybe she was the one in the wrong, after all.

Kim's eyes widened. "No!" She raked her hands through her hair. "No, no, no! They do not get a free fucking pass for not supporting me! If they were my friends for so long, then why the hell didn't Jason tell me? Why did they just stand there? Jason wasn't worried about me. He was worried about his _bro_!" Again, the word was like acid on her tongue.

"And that was wrong of him." For his part, Adam just watched her pace. Jason, he knew, or even Tommy would have tugged her down for a hug. Zack or Rocky probably would have changed the subject, and Aisha would have joined in her anger. But this was a time for cold, probably painful facts. Not arguing, not coddling or diverting. "But, Kim, you never gave him a chance to explain why."

The look on her face was frightening. "Do I really need to know why? He did it! He did not find it necessary or even important to tell me that my scumbag loser of an ex-boyfriend cheated on me with the disgusting, diseased slut who has tormented me since she met me!"

"He thought Tommy would tell you."

"And look how well that turned out," she shot back dryly. She sat again, in her desk chair, head in her heads. Her fingers caught on a few stray knots - her hair was a mess - but for once she didn't reach for a hairbrush. It just… didn't matter, not then.

Adam took a deep breath before venturing further. "Okay, so Jason… you have every right to be mad at him, but-"

"I _hate_ him!" Kim interrupted; her tone was just as venomous as if she'd shouted it to the sky. "He will _never_ be my brother."

Adam chose to move past that. "But Zack didn't deserve not getting a chance to talk," he pointed out. "Zack didn't keep the secret, and Zack never said Tommy was right in cheating. He just said that Rangering and personal life should be separate. And he has a point, as strange as it sounds coming from me."

"I thought you understood that-"

He cut her off. "I do. And I clearly agreed with you, because here I am instead of anybody else. _But_ ," he stressed, "everybody has a right to their opinion. And you only assumed theirs. You didn't listen. Can't you see how that might make them angry? You didn't give them any benefit of the doubt… just jumped the gun and guessed that you wouldn't like what they had to say."

Kim didn't respond.

"You wouldn't have liked it if they'd done it to you."

"And I wouldn't have supported a cheating scumbag, either! So that's not the point!"

Adam stared her down, meeting her head on: honesty warring with anger and hurt. She looked away first, eyes closing as she finally allowed Adam's points to sink in.

"…so, okay, maybe I was wrong. And kind of unfair," she unwillingly admitted. She felt like she would be sick having to take the blame for how the guys had been acting. "I deserved for Zack to yell at me, and… I guess I can't be angry at Jason for being so mad."

He realized Kim was teetering again on that oh-so-dangerous precipice and pulled her back. "Don't you _dare_ suggest that you're to blame for what Tommy did, or even for Jason keeping it secret. You're entitled to be upset about that. Jason was a jackass for it and Tommy… well…"

"How can they just forgive him?" she wondered softly. She might be wrong in how she was treating them, but they were so confusing to her.

Adam shrugged. "Guys are… guys. He was a great bro and a great friend. They think that what he did once doesn't really reflect on him as a person, I guess."

"You're a guy," she pointed out. "So why don't you suck?"

"Because I believe that as a person lives their life, their choices help to shape them. I can't just write it off as a one-off thing," he shrugged. "And that's just me. Are you going to be okay?"

Kim managed a watery smile and a shrug of her own. "I'll be fine. You just gave me a lot to think about." She sighed. "I guess I owe them another apology, huh?"

He shook his head. "No. You've apologized enough. You shouldn't be a punching bag in all this, Kim. You've been hurt enough." He pulled her into a short hug. After a moment, he dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Go to sleep. Want me to pick you up tomorrow?"

"I'll ride with Aisha." She caught him by his elbow as he opened the door. "Adam? Thank you. For being honest, I mean, without being mean about it."

He smiled, nodded and left.

Kim sat back down at her desk. _'Oh, boy.'_

* * *

 **Angel Grove High School  
Monday, **   
**October: Week 2  
3:05 p.m.**

Kimberly sighed deeply as she gathered up her nerve. Eating crow was never easy, but there was no doubt she owed Tommy a big apology.

" _He's really hurting, Kim. He can't believe you went that far."_ Katherine had told her at lunch. Of course, Jason had told her the same thing the night everything went down… she scowled. Damn him, anyway. But Katherine hadn't done anything to earn her anger… and she knew Tommy. They were so close, according to rumors, that they'd gone out the night before. She tamped down on a stab of jealousy; what they did, if they did anything, wasn't any of her business.

Still, she was putting things off. Fact was, she had been cruel to Tommy. She'd meant those words to hurt, and they had.

Tommy's back was to her as he dug through his locker; shoulders slumped and it looked like he'd been sleeping terribly.

 _'Okay. You can do this.'_ Clutching her books in both arms – a tiny wall between them guaranteeing space and that she wouldn't fidget as much – she stepped forward. "Tommy?"

The White Ranger's shoulder muscles tensed, and for a moment she thought he'd ignore her. Then he turned, eyes guarded. A part of her wanted to wince; another part insisted, _'He deserves it.'_ It was harder and harder to believe, but so much easier to cling to anger. Still, no matter what he had done, the fact that she had attacked his heritage, his family, was inexcusable.

"What?"

One more deep breath for courage, then: "I'm sorry." She lifted her chin as his face remained passive. "What I said to you on Saturday was wrong. I was angry, and I felt trapped, but that's no excuse. It was cruel of me, and I'm sorry." The words were bitter, but she meant them.

Tommy stared at her and not for the first time, wondered if he even knew the young woman in front of him. Memories flashed through his mind – the way she used to smile at him, then the defensive look reminiscent of a trapped animal back on the Command Center roof. Her tearful face when she'd found out about his betrayal, and the almost pleased look when her vicious words hit home.

"Did you think I was going to hit you?"

His question startled her. She blinked hard. "What?"

"It's a simple question," Tommy said, leaning his back to his locker. "Was there a moment on the roof where you thought I might actually hit you?"

She swallowed hard, emotions flaring as she recalled the hard expression he wore as he stalked toward her, his fists balled up. "If I were a guy you would have."

He shook his head, clearly irritated. "You aren't a guy. And you were backing up and looked scared, like you thought I might hit you with my fist. So honestly, did you think I would hit you?"

"…I never thought you would have cheated on me either."

The words, truthful as they were painful, hung thick in the air between them. He never told her he forgave her, and she never outright said she thought he was going to hit her. There was so much wrong with them right now that they could scarcely remember when things were right.

"I have never, ever hit a woman in my entire life… much less you. I never would, not when I'm of my own free will," he declared angrily, matching her own ire. "I hurt you, so you wanted to hurt me back. Well, you did," he explained while staring directly in her eyes. "I wish I'd never cheated on you. I really do, even though I know you don't believe that. And I _know_ you don't believe… because I don't believe your apology."

"It amazes me how quickly you can twist and turn things around to make yourself look like the victim," she snarled. "Don't expect any more apologies from me if this is how you react."

"Why should you say something to me that you don't really mean? Especially when you think I would actually hit you."

She realized that was another dagger, though unintentional. Where was the amazing guy she loved with all her heart? Where did he go? How could she love and hate him at the same time? "Fine. So now what?"

"I think we just need to let things be," he barely found the heart to say. "I don't know what to do, but I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"I don't want to hurt you either," she replied honestly. No matter what she'd wanted in the days directly following his betrayal, or how she'd felt on the rooftop, it wasn't in her nature to want to see him in pain.

"For now… let's just be civil. You live your life and I'll live mine. Maybe someday, we'll figure everything out."

This wasn't at all what she planned or hoped for or wanted. Unfortunately, it was what it was. There was no fight left in either of them. No more harsh words to say. No more grievances to air. They were simply two people who once lo-

They were just two people.

"Have a nice day, Tommy."

"You too, Kim."

They walked in opposite directions… in so many more ways than one.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As time moves on, some Rangers are forced to come to grips with what they really want.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N: psyco_chick32** – We apologize for the long delay! Holidays and catch-up and lots of arguing over the many twists and turns this story has taken, and has tried to take but been reined in, and where it's ultimately headed. Now, back to our regularly scheduled drama! (Note that a few weeks have passed between this chapter and the last.)
> 
>  **A/N: Shawn30** – What we do and don't do define our true character.

**Hillard House  
Saturday, October: Week 4  
9:30 p.m.  
**

Caught in a torrential downpour only three blocks from the Australian's home, Tommy and Katherine raced down the street as rain peppered them relentlessly.

What would have typically been comical, as they were completely soaked from head to toe, was anything but. The White Ranger was feeling the brunt of the alternate Pink Ranger's rage as they ran.

"I reminded you no less than three times in the last week to go get your spark plugs changed, but did you listen? Nope! 'Cause you never, ever listen… then again, I shouldn't be surprised. _Men_ never listen, and certainly can't see what's right in front of them, either! I swear, sometimes I just want to choke every man on Earth to death!"

"Can't you bitch me out when we aren't caught in a thunderstorm?" Tommy shouted above a loud crack of thunder as they leaped over water puddles on the sidewalk on their way to the Hillard's home.

"I should just leave you outside on the porch," Kat taunted as they turned the corner onto her street. Her clothes were soaked all the way through, her hair an utter mess, and it was all the fault of Mr. Forgetful behind her. "Why, oh _why_ did I ride with you to the skating rink? I should have caught a ride with Adam and Aisha… but of course, since I'm 'Team Tommy' by some warped form of default I never chose, I got stuck with you!"

Dodging a fallen tree branch as howling winds swept warm rain in his face, Tommy grimaced and raced up the front porch stairs. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm as drenched as you are. So fucking can it, alright?"

Katherine struggled for her keys, and then opened the front door before scowling at Tommy. "Yell at me one more time and so help me God, I will knock you on your ass!"

Gritting his teeth, Tommy held his peace.

He watched Kat kick off her wet sandals, as he did the same. Then she turned away from him and, without a care for his presence, wrenched off her dripping wet lavender blouse; she stood there in a wetly clinging white t-shirt and bra, barefoot in denim shorts. ' _Damn_ …' He had to shake his head free of the cobwebs, and the sight of those trickles of water cascading down her long, smooth legs. His pulse quickened. "Your parents home?"

Kat shook her head and spun to flip the light switch. "Nope, they won't be back until late tonight. They're on a short road trip to see an old college friend." Her brows knitted together in frustration as she flipped the switch over and over. "Dammit!" She walked past Tommy to glance out the window of the door. Sure enough, the traffic lights at the end of the street were out. "Looks like this storm has knocked out the power on my street. We're in the Dark Ages now."

Swearing under her breath, Katherine found herself staring a bit too long at the way Tommy's white shirt clung to his muscular frame like a second skin. Averting her eyes, she switched gears, recalling how nothing had gone the way she had planned that day. She folded her arms across her chest to ward off a chill, noting in a mildly prissy tone, "Thank you for being a forgetful ass."

"Says the drowned rat." He managed a half-smile her way as they stood dripping all over the floor. Then his expression turned apologetic. "I missed my mechanic's appointment, alright. It was an accident."

Katherine arched a brow. She wanted to kick him hard in the balls for her crappy day that was supposed to end so much better than this. Her clothes were ruined, her make-up was ruined, and her hair was ruined… all three of which she'd spent a great deal of time and stress on. Little good that did, and that was even before it began raining like crazy. "You owe me a free breakfast sometime in the near future," she pointed at him, unable to fend off a devilish grin. They often argued like this, and then the next second it was like, whatever. Certainly one of the most strange and yet meaningful friendships she'd ever had. "Deal?"

"Deal." Tommy swept his hand over his face, noting the moisture all over his palm. "Got a towel?"

Walking over to a nearby closet, Katherine reached up for a set of white towels above the coat rack. Blessed or cursed – depending upon how she felt that day – with more height than the average girl, at the moment she was thankful. She threw one towel to Tommy, taking the other for herself to clean up a bit.

While drying herself off, she suddenly felt Tommy's quiet focus fall all over her in a way that sent a slight tremor through her body. Just like that, there it was again… that unspoken spark between them that didn't really mean anything, and yet was ever present, as if waiting in the wings for just the right moment to ignite. Here they were, all alone in her house as a shadow of doubt passed over her face. She swallowed hard. "Lay the towel down on the couch, then you can sit. After I light a couple of candles, I'll see if my Dad has something you can borrow so you don't catch pneumonia."

Her long blonde locks looked far too sexy wet, the way they framed her soft face… His eyes found hers alight with mischief when she caught him staring. "Looking after me, Kat?"

"Someone has to, right?"

"It's been a while."

"What can I say? You're a nice charity case."

Hypnotic droplets of rain slowly trickled off the side of her neck… down the column of her throat… Then she turned and walked off into the kitchen. Sighing, Tommy shut his eyes and rubbed his hand over his face as he laid down the towel, and then took a seat on the couch in the living room.

Today sucked royally in every way possible.

What was supposed to be a group outing for fun and hopefully the mending of some severely fractured friendships began pretty well. Other than the fact that when he arrived, a clearly pleased Aisha informed them that Kim canceled at the last second when Alex invited her to one of his martial arts tournaments.

The White Ranger hated that more than he could say, but still held his peace. What could he say, really, after what he'd done to her? He choked down the pain, but was unaware at the time there was much more to come.

Still, things had been fun for the first hour or two: lots of video gaming, skating, and pizza. He and Adam had been a tiny bit more than civil to each other, while Trini and Jason were having a genuinely good time together. Aisha, Rocky, Kat, and Zack were all trying to out-skate each other with hilarious results. Even Billy skated, and that was priceless as the Rangers' resident genius found a skill he simply could not master.

After making a hotdog run for the whole gang, Tommy overheard Trini telling Jason how she'd caught Kim and Alex making out on Aisha's back porch like it was about to be outlawed, and how she worried Kim might be moving a little too quickly.

_That_ ruined his day, and afterward he was in a somber mood no one could get him out of.

So now he was left sitting in the dark in wet clothes, jealous as hell over a girl so obviously over him it wasn't even funny. Pining over Kim when she was actively moving on while he just stayed behind feeling as lonely as he ever had wasn't productive or mentally healthy. He cheated on her and ruined their relationship. This was the consequence of those actions. He knew he had no one to blame for any of this but himself. He was all by himself.

Except he wasn't really all alone.

Not anymore.

Katherine had become in recent weeks as close to him as nearly any friend he'd ever had. It wasn't an everyday thing, but they usually hung out together once a week. She'd made her own mistakes and was trying to be a better person, same as him. She understood the long, hard road back to regaining people's trust and… she was stunningly gorgeous. There was heat between them, of that there was no doubt. Friendship spiced by something hot and elusive… something that didn't _need_ to burn, but threatened to spiral into an inferno if they weren't careful.

Problem was, he was sick and fucking tired of being careful! He'd apologized till he was blue in the face, given Kim her space, and tried to make peace to the best of his ability. None of it was good enough. It seemed his crime was unforgivable. Time hadn't healed any wounds as evidenced by the rooftop arguments.

Kimberly just didn't want anything to do with him anymore. What was he still hoping for? What was left to fight for if Kim was all over Alex now? Was he the last person to get the 'Gotta Move On' memo?

With his head bowed, Tommy heard Kat cutely muttering to herself about finding the candles, and then her success as she struck match after match, lighting them. Here was a wonderful, sexy girl who wanted to get to know him better, and already knew things about him he'd barely been able to say out loud.

He knew she felt what was unspoken between them. He'd seen it in her eyes on more than one occasion. So what was the point of fighting it when no one gave a damn anyway? Maybe that was the point, that there wasn't one. Not anymore.

Rising to his feet, Tommy stalked toward the kitchen, fiery determination etched darkly over his face.

Even with her back to the entrance, Katherine felt his presence, felt him watching her from across the room in a way that instantly set her heart racing. She glanced over her shoulder, sensing something intense was on the horizon. Suddenly her voice trembled. "Do you want something?"

Of course he did, standing in the shadows unable to take his eyes off of her. Unable to gain redemption or forgiveness or Kim's love or respect. He'd lost it all, and was now standing on the precipice of uncharted waters.

It dawned on him just how right Lord Zedd was about one thing.

Sometimes he didn't want to care.

Sometimes he just wanted what he wanted.

"Do you feel this?" Tommy challenged her directly as lightening skittered light across the walls.

Having endured yet another frustrating day with no progress in her personal life, Katherine sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. She gave a slow nod as her reply. What was she denying herself, really? This wasn't love, but it wasn't loneliness or hurt or regret, either. Damn, but she wanted to feel something other than those things. Hope wasn't a tangible, physical thing she could touch. But Tommy was.

She sighed, fearful and excited all at the same time. "This is a bad idea."

Tommy paused a beat before asking, "What is?"

"Us… this…" She struggled to put into words that made sense to describe the elemental draw she felt toward him. "It's wrong for a long list of reasons."

Thunder rattled the kitchen windows as a storm of emotion roared in Tommy's dark brown eyes. Right and wrong. Good and bad. Do and don't. He was so sick of asking himself questions instead of taking what he wanted. Lord Zedd's words came back to him ten-fold. "And yet you still want it," he boldly declared. "You still want me."

"You want me too," she fired back.

"I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't."

Katherine shivered at the intensity in his eyes. When he wanted to be, Tommy could be smug and egotistical, but fucking hot and bold in a way that left her tingling. She gasped at the raw intent in his gaze… at the obvious attraction she read that carried not a hint of misunderstanding. He wasn't the man she woke up thinking about this morning, but he was the man here, now, who craved her. "I'm not Kim. And I never will be."

"…good."

Heart pounding in his chest, Tommy advanced forward like a beast unleashed, driving Katherine back against the refrigerator so hard it shook. The heels of her feet, her backside, and the knot of her ponytail pushed at the door. Refrigerator magnets were knocked to the floor as their gazes locked tight.

His piercing stare made her center quiver as she fought the urge to push him away… or draw him into her so deep she'd forget everything she truly wanted and couldn't have. The decadent feel of his body pressed tightly to hers wasn't supposed to feel so damn good. "If we do this, there's no going back."

The feel of her soft, sensuous body against his left him hard and panting. "Well… I guess that would firmly put you on 'Team Tommy', wouldn't it?" Her attempt to slap him was thwarted when he caught her tight by the wrist. "Then again, you've been there all along."

"Fuck you!"

"…soon enough."

Katherine suddenly felt light-headed. "Number one, I'm not on anyone's team," she snarled in his face, even as she felt how hard he was. Even as it aroused her to know he felt the same way. Why, oh why did you always crave the worst things for you? "Number two, if you want something… then take it."

Her challenge was accepted as Tommy captured her smoldering lips with a deliciously scandalous kiss, savoring the sweet sound of her gasp as he drank hungrily from her soft mouth until their arms closed tightly around each other. Until their hands grasped and caressed and roamed everywhere… he fisted her ponytail, holding her where he wanted her while plundering her mouth. Then she grabbed his, yanking it hard once until he broke the kiss.

Panting for air, a wild-eyed Katherine wiped the back of her hand over her lips. He tasted so fucking good and this was so fucking wrong and damn if she could think straight with the way he kissed her with such greedy need, nipping and roaming and curling his tongue round hers. This was all impulse as she suddenly took his mouth, biting at his bottom lip before pushing her tongue inside.

Tommy sucked hard on the end of her tongue as they twisted off the refrigerator door, over past the length of the sink. Cups and plates were knocked to the floor, crashing down just as surely as their inhibitions, only to reach the island in the center of the kitchen. His hands squeezed her hips as logic vanished when she began whining softly. The urge to hoist her onto that island and claim her descended to the floor where their urgent kissing saw them rolling over and over.

Hot, wet kissing charged the air around them. Gasping, panting, sucking on each other's mouth so passionately; her right hand tugged at his zipper at the same time his hand dug inside her shorts and clutched the side of her panties… And then, all of a sudden, the lights came back on.

The pure, unadulterated shock – the sheer weight of what they were about to do – slammed into them like an out-of-control freight train!

Tommy frantically launched from off of her, backpedaling until he practically fell on the floor against the wall. Katherine laid perfectly still on the floor, panting heavily, hands covering her face; she couldn't fathom what had almost happened. Both of them were silent as this was… mercy, what they were about to do for all the wrong reasons.

Watching her sit up, he met her conflicted gaze with his own as a multitude of emotions passed between them. But as surely as the power unexpectedly came back on, so did the truth that lived in his heart. "Kat, I'm _so_ sorry."

Feeling ashamed that she'd ever let things go so far, Katherine nodded and sighed. "So am I."

Tommy gave a nod as they both took a moment to settle themselves. When he finally spoke, there was no holding back, total honesty as she deserved no less. "I'm very attracted to you, Katherine. I always have been. I thought you were hot even when I was dating Kim," he admitted wearing a small smile. His body was still humming, but he was thinking clearly again. "I think so highly of you, and in recent weeks your friendship has meant the world to me. I don't want to lose that for anything in the world."

Stilling himself, the simplest truth of his life was easy to admit. "I'm still in love with Kimberly, and what almost happened here wasn't because I couldn't stop thinking about you or have been fantasizing about you for weeks or anything like that. I haven't been pining away for you. I'm not in love with you, or even falling. It was because I overhead Trini tell Jason she caught Kim and Alex kissing. I was so insanely jealous and you're so pretty and we have this connection, but… you don't deserve to be used to help me forget Kim. You don't deserve to be anyone's second place. You're an amazing person, and I do love you dearly. But I'm not in love with you, and we can't ever do this again."

He appeared so worried about her reaction. Though a million things flooded through her mind, relief and understanding were chief among them. "I think you're fucking hot," she half-laughed as they shared a knowing smile. "It was always more than Rita's spell that drew me to you. But I've been crushing on someone else pretty hard for the last three months. All I wanted to do today was get him to notice me, but he didn't. It's because he's shy, and I get that, but I was just very disappointed. I was hurt and feeling as though I put so much thought and effort into trying to get his attention, and I got nothing in return."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she continued, "So us hooking up would have been to validate that I was sexy and someone a man wanted." Feeling that way was beneath her, but she was all too human and only seventeen years old. "I've been lonely since things with Joseph ended, and Adam is the first guy I've had feelings for in a long time. I…"

"Adam?" Tommy blinked rapidly, sure he'd heard wrong. "Adam Park?"

"No, Adam West from the old cheesy Batman TV show," she snickered, having prepared for this talk ever since she became close with Tommy. It was inevitable. "Yes, Adam is my secret crush who offers me a tiny wave every time he sees me."

Tommy just stared at her. "But he doesn't seem like your type."

"And how would you know what my type is?" She saw him think it over, grinning. Subtly, thy name was not Tommy Oliver. "You and I are too much alike. It only stands to reason we'd go for opposites of our own personality. We're stubborn and strong-willed and not really afraid to go after what we want. But Adam is so sweet and gentle and just a good man," she beamed despite herself. "He's got this understated sense of humor I like, and his confidence is quiet and not out there in your face like you."

"Hey!"

Kat knew he wasn't upset at all. She liked that she knew him pretty well. "What I'm saying is that I don't want to date you. And not because I already knew you were still very much in love with Kim. It's because despite the physical attraction, I think we work better as best friends."

He stared at her, taking it all in, and then sighed. Of all the guys he could have imagined for her… "Adam isn't exactly my favorite person."

"And I'm not sure if he'd shove you out of the way of an out of control bus, either," she laughed as he could do nothing but agree. "But you know he's a good man. Just like I know you are." He was mulling things over in his head, and she all but imagined a small boardroom of little Tommys considering how to deal with this. It made her smile. "So what's the verdict?"

Tommy exhaled. "I love you."

"I know that. And I love you too. But I'm falling for Adam pretty hard. So the question is, do I lose my best friend because he hates my soon-to-be-honey for dumbass reasons?"

Crossing his arms, Tommy rolled his eyes and then shook his head. He could tell Kat knew she had already won, but he didn't mind. He wanted her to be happy and in love and treated very well. She deserved no less than a guy who was crazy about her. Since that guy wasn't him, and he trusted her judgment… well, he didn't intend on losing her. "I'm not going anywhere."

She knew he wasn't. "Good."

"And you need to take the bull by the horns and ask him out."

Katherine's gaze fell a moment. "Maybe he just doesn't see me that way."

"Maybe he's too shy to make the first move. I was with Kim."

"And you two are more alike than you care to admit."

"Then why wasn't I shy with you?"

"Because I'm not the woman you're in love with, and if I didn't go for it you wouldn't be crushed. I can't hurt you the way Kimberly could," Katherine noted with no malice. "You need to fight for her."

"I intend to," Tommy declared. "Not right now, though. I'm going to wait a little while. Give her some space. Let things settle down. Then I'm going to go for it, and whatever happens, happens."

"So what about what just happened with us?" she smiled.

"It was a moment," he swallowed deeply, "where thankfully clearer heads prevailed."

"Agreed. Using other people or sex to deal with bad days or frustrations doesn't show we've learned anything. And even though we obviously have a long way to go, at least we're on the right path."

"Go after Adam, Kat. He's…" the words strained from his throat as he really didn't want to compliment him. "He's a good guy. And if you like him that much, well, I want whatever makes you happy."

"I want you to fight like hell for Kim. But if she says stop, then you have to, and I know you'll find whoever you are supposed to be with. But for the record, I still think it's your Beautiful." His smile told her everything she needed to know. "So help me clean up. This place looks like we did have some really wild floor sex. And we both have bed hair," she laughed.

Tommy stood up, and then began picking up the refrigerator magnets off the floor. "Adam…" He shook his head.

"Don't start," she snickered. He was her best bud, and she was cool with that. "And from now on, no more dissing Adam when I'm around. Got it?"

He grumbled, but gave a nod. "Billy's single, too…"

"Stop it."

"So is Bulk."

"I hate you," she laughed.

"Hate you too."

* * *

**Angel Grove Youth Center  
Sunday, November: Week 1  
1:00 p.m.**

"I can't get out of it; Mom says I have to go to my Aunt's wedding," Adam grumped at the table, all but pouting over his smoothie. "And it's pretty much mandatory everybody dance... on top of that, my cousin's best friend spent our last family reunion last summer all but stalking me." He stared at Kim. "Are you _sure_ you can't go? Mom wouldn't mind."

Kim shook her head apologetically. "Sorry, but no luck. If I don't get this project done, Mrs. Murphy is going to skin me alive. She already gave me an extra week because of my gymnastics competition." Her economics teacher couldn't have been more understanding, but Kim didn't want to push her luck. Then an idea popped into her head and she stood. "But I can still help!"

Adam's eyes went wide as Kim grabbed his arm and dragged him down the stairs. "What are you doing?"

"Dance lesson!"

He dug in his heels to little avail, given that he simply slid across the floor. He could've sworn he heard a snicker, and sent the darkest glare he could muster to where Rocky was relaxing between reps. "I really think this is a terrible idea."

Kim didn't dignify his complaint with a response, spinning him to face her and looking him up and down. "Okay, what kind of dancing does your family do?"

He stared at her blankly.

Kim lifted an eyebrow.

He stared back, still at a loss.

"Bro, she means like, slow dancing or the Macarena or what?" Rocky called out from where he was sitting, throwing Adam a bone and encouraging Kim all with one phrase.

Adam glared his way. "I don't know! It's all dancing to slow songs and things."

Kim grinned. "Oh, then that's easy! Arms up. One on my hip, one up here." She put her free arm up on his shoulder and grabbed his hand, laughing and wriggling when he tickled her side lightly in a bid for freedom. "Stop it! Now, rock with me. Left- no, my left. Now the other way." The two moved from side to side slowly, Kim humming in the absence of music.

"I feel like an idiot," Adam mumbled petulantly, refusing to look around and see just how many people were witnessing his humiliation. "And I don't dance."

"You're dancing just fine and you are not an idiot," Kim assured him. "Now, we're going to turn, too. Think of it as a box. Step to the side, back- no, my back, so forward for you. Good, now back over… and back." After a few missteps, his ears burning, the two were moving in unison again. "Great job!"

They kept moving, then a wicked smirk crawled across Kim's face, and Adam almost instinctively began searching for places to escape. "And, if your stalker comes along, you can always dance a little closer." She stepped forward, until there was little more than a hair's breadth between them, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Put your free hand on my back."

A blush crawled up Adam's neck, but Kim grabbed his wrists to place his hands properly. "Now, same swaying as before. But add a bit of sexiness to it," she giggled, just to watch him blush harder. It worked.

"Man, that ain't how you romance a lady!"

Adam nearly melted with relief when Zack's voice cut through them. His predecessor tapped him on the shoulder. "Mind if I cut in?"

"Kim?" As far as Adam was aware, she hadn't spent much time with Zack since his apology, but he was ready to gnaw his arms off at the shoulders to escape. He hated dancing!

"Well," Kim drawled, "if you're going to bail on me…"

"I am!" Adam cut a hasty retreat to join Rocky at the weights. Kim laughed as she heard him threaten the Red Ranger with bodily harm for encouraging her.

Chuckling, Zack held out his hand with a flourish. "Shall we, my lady?"

For a moment, Kim thought about saying no. She hadn't actually _done_ anything with Zack or any of Tommy's friends – how sad was it that she thought of Zack and Jason as more Tommy's friends than hers or even _theirs_ – since the weekend where everything came to a head.

But she loved to dance, and Zack was smiling and his eyes were sparkling and… _'Oh, what the hell.'_ She couldn't stay mad at him forever, and she would look terrible if she rebuffed him. On top of that, she didn't even really _want_ to. "Good sir," she responded with a curtsey.

He grabbed her hand and spun her around, pulling her into swing dance steps. "Can you keep up?"

Kim laughed… and felt like a weight was lifted off her shoulders.

* * *

**Campbell House  
Wednesday, November: Week 1  
5:00 p.m.**

"Adam, you'll be _fine_ ," Kim insisted for what had to be the two-millionth time in the last hour. At least, it felt that way. "Just relax." She resumed digging through the stack of tapes, trying to figure out what movies to suggest. Nothing overtly romantic because that would be coming on too strong… it wouldn't be the right atmosphere for a horror film… and nothing too long, since it was a school night.

Adam crossed his arms and stared at her from the couch petulantly. When Kim had finally needled him into admitting that he liked Kat a few days ago, he'd expected the eardrum-shattering squeal. He'd expected the clapping and encouraging and plotting. After all, this was Kim. Despite the insanity and drama of her own former love life, she was a sucker for a good romance. And given that Adam was firmly staked in Team Kim, and Kat tended to drift more on the Team Tommy side of things, this was something straight out of West Side Story.

But when she hadn't made a move to match-make in a couple days, he foolishly let his guard down. He could have his crush quietly, and then go off to college where the person he liked wasn't bosom buddies with someone who would like to hit him with a train. He could just let things go and not cause any further drama in a team already ripe with it.

He _wasn't_ expecting her to try and set them up the moment he'd let his guard down. She'd lulled him into a false sense of security before pouncing, greeting him in the hallway with the information that Kat was coming over that night, and so was he, then picking out his clothes after his work out and ordering him to hang out with her and Kat upon pain of having Aisha do this instead.

"This is a bad idea," he declared suddenly.

"Why?" Abandoning the pile of movies, she plopped down next to him. "Adam, you are so great. How could this be a bad idea?"

"I'm not- I mean-" Adam stumbled through his thoughts. "I just… don't think I'm Kat's kind of guy. You know?"

She shook her head. "No. I don't know. Why not? Any girl would be lucky to have somebody like you." He seemed skeptical, so she nudged him and dug deeper. "Why wouldn't she be into you?"

"Remember when she first showed up?"

Kim nodded slowly. It wasn't easy to forget: the way Kat obsessed over Tommy, the feeling of her powers leeching from her body, that seemingly never-ending weakness and the concern in Tommy's- _'Stop it.'_ This was about Adam and Kat and getting them together like any good friend would. "Of course."

"She was so into Tommy."

"Because of Rita," Kim pointed out, playing Devil's Advocate. "The spell made things all twisted."

"Yeah, but she was still into him. Like, almost freakishly. And she's spent the whole year spending time one-on-one with him. That means she's probably listened to a list of 101 reasons why she should hate me and why I suck and stuff."

She sighed. That was likely true. But Kat _had_ to like Adam, she showed all the signs: dressing a little prettier and flirtier when she knew Adam was going to be around. Making sure to hang out when Adam was joining on trips. Inviting Adam to go places with them.

Alas, Adam was a guy, and a kind of dense one at that. Kat could probably wear a shirt with blinking Christmas lights proclaiming "I Like Adam Park!" and he'd be oblivious. It just added to his charm, though; he had a bit of ego, like all of the guys, but if was underscored by his shyness.

"Adam, you trust me, right?" His emphatic nod made her grin. "Then believe me when I say she likes you. I'm a girl. I know these things. And you told me you like her. So realize how great you are and go for it!"

"How about you take your own advice?" he shot back – and both of them knew he wasn't referring to Alex. When her lips thinned, he sighed and acquiesced. "I'm here, aren't I?"

She gave him a hug. "Yes, you are. Thank you." The doorbell rang and she jumped up. "She's here! Now… just behave, and you'll have a date by the end of the night!"

"Yes, mom," Adam mumbled as Kim pranced out of the room. He took a deep breath - really, how did he get into these things? If he were lucky, the evening would go by quickly and he wouldn't make a complete and utter fool of himself.

Then Kat floated into the room, all legs and smiles and grace and wearing a beautiful black and white sundress and he almost swallowed his tongue.

Kat greeted him with a sunny grin, sitting next to him and crossing her legs. Adam forced his eyes away from the skin that exposed and up to her face, shifting a bit awkwardly. "So, a movie night?"

"Yeah," Adam managed. "Just something fun to relax with since Aisha has so much homework and Kim hurt her ankle and couldn't practice." A strange look crossed her face and Adam mentally smacked himself upside the head. "I'm really glad you're here and didn't have to work." He fumbled a bit for something to say. "Um, would you like to pick the movie?" He gestured to the stack of tapes Kim had left on the table and looked around for the petite Pink Ranger.

Of course, Kim had made herself scarce, starting up the popcorn maker in hopes of giving them some alone time.

"Thank you for inviting me," Kat said, picking out her choice. "I love Star Wars… is that okay?"

"Perfect," Adam breathed. He'd never admit he was just waiting for her to pick a sappy chick flick, just to torture him a little more. "I mean, it's a great choice. Good story."

Kat giggled, absolutely charmed. The poor guy looked so out of his element, despite the fact that he'd spent the past few months with so many women around. He really was cute. "I've always enjoyed it. I dreamed of flying through space – never thought it would happen, though."

"Yeah, I can imagine joining a team of Intergalactic Superheroes wasn't really on your to-do list," he responded. "It definitely expands your horizons."

"Literally." She placed a hand on his knee, "I never did get a chance to thank you for those lessons a few weeks ago. That monster came by and- well, anyway, I really do appreciate them. I've learned a lot. You're a good teacher."

"Thanks. I'm glad I could help." He took a deep breath and, Kim's endorsements ringing in his ears, jumped in with both feet. "Do you think sometime we-"

"I have popcorn! Kat, did you pick out a movie?"

Kat's face fell a little, certain he was going to go for it until Kim barged in. Then she couldn't help but laugh. The poor Black Ranger looked torn between crying and choking Kim. "Yes, I did."

As Kim turned down the lights, Kat inched closer to Adam. Maybe they'd make some progress yet.

* * *

Kat sat through the movie - one she usually loved - paying much more attention to the young man next to her. He seemed a little stressed - of course, Adam wasn't the most relaxed person, by any means… not anymore, at least. He'd changed since she'd first met him, back when everything was crazy and she was evil. But he was still the sweet guy he had been; protective, loyal, focused, a bit shy.

She wondered - hoped - that he shared her feelings, and was just too shy to be demonstrative. Strange, given how often he was with the other women, but not unheard of.

That thought made her wince. She was well-aware of Adam's views on cheaters. He wanted to rip Tommy apart for the pain he'd caused Kim. He'd loudly denounced people who could so willingly hurt others. And she'd done that… not that she'd shared that information with the group. It sort of made her feel like a spy, like a liar, but it really never came up. If she and Adam began dating, though, she'd certainly owe him some explanations for her previous relationships. He was incredibly understanding and sweet, but she didn't think he'd be as sympathetic to her plight as Tommy was.

Tommy. The two were remarkably alike: determined, a bit shy, loners types for the most part who were undying loyal to people they chose to stand behind. Adam seemed a little less self-assured… that was actually pretty sweet, and having a bit less of an ego was certainly nice. Adam was a bit less forward, too; he wasn't likely to make such a strong, dominating move on her like Tommy had.

She wondered if she would ruin here friendship with Tommy if she dated Adam? He'd said not, but actions and words didn't always end up meshing. Would Adam even want to date somebody as close to Tommy as she was? By now, she was almost convinced she knew more about the White Ranger than his ex-girlfriend did… certainly understood him on a higher level. Maybe the same could be said for Adam and Kimberly. But the two were definitely on opposing sides of how they saw what Tommy did. She'd seen how that affected Trini's relationship with Jason…

_'Stop it,'_ she ordered herself sternly. She wouldn't get anywhere picking this apart. Either Adam liked her or he didn't; either he could handle Kat's friendship with Tommy or not. She'd just have to take the bull by the horns and give it her best.

And maybe, if things played out well, she'd owe Tommy for that jolt to her self-confidence. She eyed Kim from across the dark room; the Pink Ranger clutching a pillow as she sprawled out on the couch on the other side of the table. She'd just have to wait and see… and maybe, she could give Tommy's wish a nudge in the right direction.

* * *

"I love that movie," Kim bubbled as she popped the tape out of the VCR. "Good choice, Kat."

"Thanks." She caught Kim's eye and almost imperceptibly tilted her head in Adam's direction. "We have time for the next one, but maybe before we start the next movie-"

Kim grinned, catching on right away. "I should start more popcorn? Sounds like a plan. I'll be back in a few." She scampered out of the room, leaving Adam and Kat to stare at each other quietly for a moment.

She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "So, um… before Kim came in earlier, you were saying?"

"Oh… yeah." He shifted awkwardly. Throughout the whole movie, he'd been sitting there contemplating Kat. He liked her; really, really liked her. She was gorgeous and smart and was so good about accepting how Kim wasn't magically _over_ what had happened… that was something rare from people who hung around Tommy.

But, therein lay his problem: her close friendship with him. He knew Kat wanted to keep all of her friends in the midst of this mess, and he knew Tommy all but loathed the sight of him. It would be unfair to ask her to spend time with him when she could be with the person who she'd been with almost all the time. The two were nearly always together – easy fuel for the rumors that they were dating, or at least hooking up – and that certainly wasn't going to happen with him around.

" _So realize how great you are and go for it!"_ Kim's words echoed in his head.

Realizing he was still being shy, Kat took the initiative before she could lose her nerve. "How about we go to dinner later this week? Just you and me?"

Adam's jaw dropped for a second, and she bit back a giggle. Then he smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… yeah, that'd be… that'd be cool."

"Great!" She smiled, and was gratified to see his grin. "Maybe Saturday night?"

Adam wracked his brains for any other plans that night and came up empty. "Yeah, that's good. I'll pick you up, okay?"

"Alright." The two smiled giddily at each other, and then Kim came in.

"Popcorn!" She eyed Kat quizzically as she passed to pop in the next movie, and Kat's smile said it all.

The Pink Ranger nodded, giving her a discrete thumbs-up. Inside, she was dancing. Finally, something good for Adam!

* * *

**Stony Creek Park - Alex's Car  
** **Friday, November: Week 1  
8:00 p.m.**

Kimberly wasn't quite sure how she had ended up in this position, but she certainly wasn't complaining as Alex's lips trailed down her jawline before latching to her neck. She straddled his lap in the backseat of his car, feeling somewhat wanton as he had one hand tangled in her hair and another caressing her side under her blouse. That hand trailed down to her ass, pressing her tighter against him, and she sighed into a heated kiss.

A date at the Crab Shack had been just like their other dates, filled with stories and jokes, but there'd been a tension between them that threatened to spark. Light touches here and there… Alex was definitely smooth, and his interest had been clear as day.

Here, now, she could feel him, hard and pressed up against her. It made her feel sexy, and damn that was a good feeling after the beating her self-esteem had taken since Tommy-

Damn it all, but he always popped into her head at the most inconvenient time! Thoughts of him leaning over her, dropping a kiss on her forehead in the hospital, eyes filled with worry. Or those three stupid, painful words: _"We had sex."_ Sometimes, she wanted to rip her brain out and bleach it clean for a new start. Other times she wanted to grab him and shake him; how could he insist he was going to make everything better and win her back (or so Rocky had said once, when she wasn't supposed to be able to hear), and then just give up?

Alex's hand skimmed up Kim's stomach, making her giggle at the ticklish sensation until he cupped a breast through her bra; she groaned and let her head fall back. When it came to distractions from unwanted thoughts, he was one of the best.

"Have I told you how incredibly beautiful you are?" It was something she was starting to believe again, and Alex had been nothing but amazing in helping. They weren't boyfriend and girlfriend, but Kim would be lying if she said he didn't intrigue her.

"Not tonight…"

Alex grinned at her, eyes sparkling. "Consider it said, then?" His hands ran up and down her back, coaxing her to take off her loose, super-cute peasant-style blouse. She complied almost without thinking, shivering a bit at the quick chill before his hands rubbed warmth back into her skin.

Once in a while, Kim would wonder if they were moving too quickly. They weren't even actually boyfriend and girlfriend; this was only their third date since Homecoming… the first, a trip to the movies. The second, he'd taken her out for karaoke and dancing. It was strange to date a guy who could dance, but definitely a nice change. But despite the lack of "formality" and all, she just couldn't keep her hands off him, or the other way around.

Maybe she was tired of stressing over it. Maybe the thought that she was one of the last virgins in the group – Trini thought nobody knew, but Kim was no fool, duh – played with her a bit and made her feel immature. Certainly Tommy's actions made her reassess if just _having_ sex was more important than saving yourself for somebody you truly loved.

With Alex, she didn't have to think… and that was nice. Now, if she could only stop her mind from wandering.

Her eyes popped open as she realized he'd leaned back and was staring at her.

"What?"

"You in there?" he teased.

"I'm right here," she responded, grinding down slightly and smirking as he let out a soft moan. "Where are you?"

"Enjoying the view, clearly."

"Is there a lot to enjoy?" Again, insecurity raising its ugly head, but she couldn't help it no matter how hard she fought. She wondered if she were permanently broken in some way.

Alex's head tilted. "Tons. Sexy legs…" his hands trailed from the ankles up, caressing bare skin. "…a great ass, perfect body." Then his hands cupped her face. "A beautiful face, and that's just skin-deep. You're also smart, funny, and a damned good gymnast."

Kim smothered a smile. "Wow, poetic much?"

"Give a guy a break, that's about the best you'll get from me tonight." He thrust up lightly to remind her of where they were and what they'd been doing. "I don't have enough blood to keep smart words going to my mouth for much longer."

She snickered before settling herself a little more firmly. "I was wondering… what are we?"

She had to give the man credit; his response was far from what she expected. Most guys would have gone running in a different direction… or at least let out a bit of a whine at discussing things like "relationships" and "feelings" when they could be getting some action in the back of their car. Instead, he shrugged.

"What do you want to be?"

"Well, we agreed we weren't dating," Kim reminded him.

"Right, because of the college thing." He'd been accepted to University of Miami for a journalism degree, of all things. She would be staying in California and was wary of long-distance relationships. "And that's legitimate."

"Don't you feel weird, having me here but not being _with_ me?" she wondered.

"Do you like it here?" She nodded. "Are you comfortable?" She nodded. "Then why would I feel weird?"

Kim shrugged. "Trini says we're moving too quickly. Blah blah blah and all that."

"Do you think we are?"

When Kim could only manage a noncommittal shrug, Alex straightened a bit. "Kim, you know you can tell me to stop at any time. Given everything that's happened, I don't want you to go throwing yourself at me just because I'm interested." After a moment, he added, "That's not to say I don't have condoms in my wallet, in case you _do_ want to…"

Kim laughed at his backpedaling, choosing to shut him up with another hot kiss.

Being wanted was a very, very nice change.

* * *

**The Garden Spire  
Saturday, November: Week 2  
7:30 p.m.**

Ever the gentleman, Adam pulled Katherine's chair for her as they were seated at their window-side table. A single rose-shaped candle was lit in the centerpiece, adding to the ambiance. The Garden Spire was a very nice, yet affordable sit-down Italian restaurant that the younger crowd seemed to enjoy a great deal. Bang for the buck being what it was, the romantic atmosphere and good food were perfect choice for a first date.

Kim discovered the place three weeks ago when her mom was in town. As Adam looked around the elegant restaurant, he was pleased she gave him the suggestion for his first date with Katherine.

Seated across from his beautiful date for the evening, Adam tried not to stare at her by candlelight. But her lovely blue eyes and that slinky black dress just took his breath away. Pride swelled in his chest that she was there with him, being a guy and all. Something tender and new was growing between them, and tonight was what he hoped was the first step of many to come. "You look gorgeous, Katherine."

She smiled brightly, blushing at his use of her full first name when so many simply used its shortened version. Maybe that would be a special little thing only he did. She liked the sound of that, and the handsome man seated across from her. "Thank you. You look great too," she replied lightly, her gaze sweeping over the packed restaurant on a Saturday night. "This place looks wonderful. It seems you have good taste."

Adam shrugged, appreciating the compliment while silently promising Kim a new pair of shoes for her immense help. "Just doing my best," he replied a bit nervously, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. This wasn't his first date, but it felt like the most important one. Maybe it was because he'd never felt for any of those other girls what he feels for Katherine. That was both wonderful and terrifying.

A kindly middle-aged woman introduced herself as Lori, their waitress, and asked them what they wanted to start with. Both requested Cokes while looking over the menu. She smiled at the young couple, and walked off to get their order.

"Have I told you how incredible you look tonight?" Adam offered yet again, remembering Kim's insistence that he say that that at least four times during dinner.

"Yes, but a girl never tires of hearing it," Katherine beamed happily. This was her first date in well over a year, and she was nervous, but tried to just relax and enjoy the moment. This was her first real step toward a personal life after Joseph. It was a big deal, even if on the outside she hid it better than most. "My mom helped with my makeup and hair, so I guess she deserves some credit as well."

"I could call her and thank her now if you want," he teased.

She cutely rolled her eyes. "Maybe after dinner."

Her every smile had him on Cloud Nine. So far, so good. "Kim was prepping me for the last four hours on what to say, what to do, and how to act," he chuckled as they settled in, light music playing from a nearby pianist. Suddenly he froze, and then considered, "I'm not supposed to tell you she picked out this outfit." Then he thought about what he just revealed; his tone bashful as his smile. "I probably shouldn't have said that, either."

Katherine couldn't help but laugh. There was a subtle innocence to Adam that was so sweet. Most guys would never, ever tell a girl they liked that they needed help with anything. Though she hung out mostly with Alpha Males, her best friend being one, she didn't really want to date one. She liked Adam just the way he was. "So we both had a little help to get ready for this date. I think it was worth it."

"So do I."

Their waitress returned with cheese bread, Cokes, and then took their dinner orders.

"So how was your day?" Adam asked before taking a drink. He loved the way Katherine's face lit up. "That good?"

"That crazy," she laughed. "Okay, I have to tell you this story because it's so funny. I was getting some training in how the Zord repair bay works. Tommy and Jason were going over the basics while Zack showed me how the Omni-droids can be programmed to do the actual repairs. Afterwards, we played cards and I won a chance to fly the Falcon Zord," she announced proudly while Adam listened intently. "Tommy is so fanatical about his Zord, so he co-piloted while I flew. Well, it seems my piloting skills need some work since I almost flew into the side of one of the mountains out there."

She shook her head as her date's eyes widened. "Tommy yelled at me while Jason and Zack laughed their butts off. I swear I thought Tommy was going to have a heart attack. His panicked face was priceless."

"I'd pay good money to see that," Adam chuckled.

"It was absolutely hilarious. He turned as red as Jason's shirt and was all whiny and stuff. I was just happy we didn't die. I think I'll take some flight lesson from Kim when she has some free time."

"She's a great pilot, and probably a bit less anal than Tommy."

There was a modest edge to Adam's voice as Katherine realized Tommy was still a sore subject for Adam. She knew it was the same the other way around. "Is it weird that I'm such good friends with Tommy when things between you two are still so strained?"

Thinking it over, Adam gave a small nod. "In a way, yeah. But not in a bad way. I guess it's just… I don't know, maybe I thought Tommy wouldn't exactly be supportive of you and I dating. Not that we need it, but he is your best friend."

"He is, but I don't need his permission or support. It would be nice, but I certainly never asked for it," she explained. "But I do have it. In fact, he's very supportive of us. He wants me to be happy, same that I want for him. And I'll tell you the same thing I reminded him of: you two were very good friends for years before he screwed up. That can't all just be gone and washed away. I still think you guys can get back there in time."

Adam looked down before pointing out, "He hates me."

"No, he doesn't. He's just being a stubborn, prideful ass," Kat announced while shaking her head. "And you don't exactly adore him anymore either."

Adam couldn't argue that point. "He hurt Kim. He broke her heart. That's why I don't like him."

"He hurt you, too. And I can tell that's part of this as well." She caught a hint of something somber in his eyes. "I've been pushing him to talk to you."

"Trini's been pushing me," Adam revealed.

"I think you two should just fight it out," Katherine joked. "Punching each other seems to solve arguments between men. Or so I've been told."

"Rocky told you that, right?"

"I will neither confirm nor deny that claim, but consider my nod as you will." She smiled, and then turned serious. "I would love to see you two bury the hatchet and become friends again. I think the world of both of you. And I know Tommy owes you a huge apology, and he misses you even though he won't admit it. He's being a jerk about it, but he's slowly coming around."

Going silent for a moment, Adam considered what she said. "Maybe someday," he temporized.

"Maybe someday," Katherine repeated as their dinner arrived. Pasta and shrimp for both of them, and it smelled as delicious as it looked. She forked a shrimp and ate it, moaning from how good it tasted. She found Adam's careful appraisal as sexy as he apparently found the sound she made. "The shrimp is delicious. Dig in."

Adam forked a shrimp, brought it to his mouth, and then watched it slip from the tip and land in his lap. Katherine's giggle made him smile, a little embarrassed. "Real smooth, huh?"

"My heart's all aflutter," she teased. He popped the shrimp in his mouth and seemed to enjoy it. "Told you they were great."

He wanted to tell her how great her accent was. And how he barely slept a wink last night from thinking about this date. Then he tried to recall some of Kim's talking points to keep the conversation moving. "So tell me something about yourself no one else knows?"

Tilting her head a little, Kat thought it over. "Only if you'll do the same."

"Fair enough."

Katherine dabbed a napkin to her mouth and thought about the question. She tried to think of the people closest to her in life and what they knew about her. There wasn't much she didn't share, but there had to be something… and then it hit her. Silly, but true. "I am the world's worst singer," she revealed, grinning. "I cannot sing in the shower. I won't sing in public, and even in my car I just hum to music. I cannot sing at all. I sound like two zombie-mules having sex."

"Thanks for the great dinner visual," he teased. "But I still think your voice is beautiful."

She blushed just a little. "Thank my Australian upbringing for my accent, but don't expect to hear me sing anytime soon. I don't, ever."

"I'd still like it," Adam said before thinking, but enjoyed her smile. "Guess it's my turn."

"Yep." Boy oh boy, she could feel herself falling for his charm and sweet ways. He seemed taken with her, too. So far, so good.

"I once had a crush on Aisha for one full day." Katherine giggled while chewing a shrimp as he began his tale. "I was eight and we were in grade school…"

As Adam spun his cute tale of his first childhood crush, one that lasted all of twenty-four hours, Katherine found him a masterful storyteller. There was a natural honesty and humility to him that she found so attractive in a man. He was articulate and funny and had a killer smile he didn't really know was killer at all. There wasn't a hint of darkness in him, the same way she always thought of Kim. Perhaps that was why she and Tommy were so taken by them and ultimately not into each other.

Dinner was great, and after ordering desert, Kat felt the need to address something head-on. She wanted to do it in person, despite how much she was enjoying herself and feared that the discussion could turn the date ugly. "Uhm, Adam," she began with a bit of anxiety. "I've been told there are some rumors going around school about me and Tommy. I don't know if you've heard them or not, but I wanted to tell you and explain."

He wasn't sure if this would be brought up tonight, but he couldn't help wanting it out of the way. He appreciated her tackling this head-on. "I've heard some of that stuff, yeah, though I usually try to ignore school gossip. Especially by people like Cari Saunders. All she does is cause drama and lie."

Katherine sighed, and then pushed onward. "What I was told was being spread around was that Tommy and I are more than friends and secretly dating." Leaning just over the table, she gazed into his eyes. "I want you to know that is absolutely not true. Tommy and I aren't dating and have never been on a date. We're not in love with each other. We don't have a crush on each other. But," she began with her heart now beating wildly, "there was one time when I was having a very bad day and he took me out that night to get my mind off things. However, it was strictly platonic. It wasn't about each other at all."

Although he believed her, there was a beat of something… tension in her expression that caught his eye. He wasn't sure what that meant, or if he'd like it if he knew. "I never listen to that crap, so no worries. You guys are close and you spend a lot of time together, so I guess it comes with the territory." He shrugged, thinking of the many times he'd taken Kim out for a fast-food meal or just to a movie.

"Yeah…" Internally she'd debated ever since they made this date over ever telling him about what almost happened with Tommy. In the end, she decided that if they were going to make a serious, honest go at being together, then all the cards should be on the table. "Adam, I need to tell you something. I'm just not sure how."

He wasn't sure he liked the sound of that, but gave her his full attention. "Okay."

Taking a deep breath, Katherine began explaining, "None of the rumors about Tommy and I dating or anything like that are true. But there _was_ a moment… there was an evening where we almost crossed the lines. We, um, almost slept together…" She noted his mute surprise and disappointment. He was a man like any other, and the thought of another man touching his girl- Well, she hoped that was the way he saw it, anyway. "Tommy and I did kiss and we almost slept together, but we didn't. We both stopped and realized that wasn't what our friendship was about, and that we wanted other people. He is still in love with Kimberly and I'm fall- I'm very interested in you."

Adam blinked, unsure what he was feeling as so many emotions swept over him at once. "When did this happen?"

"Last week."

"And you're sure he isn't in love with you?"

"Positive. We talked about it in depth. If we wanted to start something with each other we could have. But that day, we were both lonely and hurting and I think we just wanted something. We were attracted to each other, but it was foolish and immature and thankfully we both realized that before we made a huge mistake. I… I think at the end of the day we were trying to drown our sorrows in each other, but realized that wasn't the right way to deal with it."

"And you're sure you don't want to be with Tommy?" Adam almost choked out the words, hating the slight tremble in his voice. Not to mention the new tension this brought to their date. "Our foundation couldn't be that you chose me because you can't have what you really want. I'm not Tommy, and I don't want to be, but I know a lot of girls like that type of guy."

Honesty was so much harder than keeping a lie. But well worth it in the long run, she hoped. "I was single at the time. If I wanted to fight for him or if I were in love with him I would have said so and fought for him. But I'm not in love with him or falling or interested. I love him as my best friend, and I do think deep down he is a good man. But romantically I am very interested in you. Only you. You're the man I want, not Tommy. Even if he wanted me, I don't want to be with him. But he doesn't; he still loves Kimberly."

He always felt he was a pretty good judge of character, and he sincerely hoped he was right about Katherine. His heart was already lost to her, though he couldn't say it out loud just yet. Gazing into her eyes, he felt she was telling him the truth. He just hated that Tommy had ever kissed her. But she wanted _him_. "I believe you, Katherine. Thank you for even telling me. I know that you didn't need to."

She gave a soft smile. "Thank you."

"I value honesty great deal. I always have, even before Tommy cheated on Kim. I hope if what we have progresses it'll stay that way. I'm not going to cheat on you, and I don't want to be cheated on. And sex isn't something you have to worry about me pressuring you for. We'd talk about it one day, but…"

"I'm not a virgin," she admitted in a rush of words.

Adam's stomach dropped, and he wasn't sure why. He honestly thought that she was, but then again couldn't say he knew much about her personal life before she arrived in Angel Grove. Suddenly the balance he felt they enjoyed was a bit tipped. "Oh… okay, alright."

Deciding to just get it all out now, Katherine explained. "I slept with my ex-boyfriend Joseph. We were together for nine months. Then I cheated on him by sleeping with someone else. Joseph broke up with me not long before I moved here. I don't know what came over me the night I cheated. It was the worst mistake I ever made and I deeply regret it and apologized to Joseph," she brushed away a stray tear before continuing. "This all happened about a year and a half ago. I've only ever slept with two people."

Adam wanted to crawl in a hole and just stay there rather than admit, "I'm still a virgin." It wasn't a fact he was ashamed of personally, but now it felt like he was so far behind her in the ways of the world. He felt… young, and hated it. "I've dated and done some things," he choked out a bit. "But I haven't had a seriously girlfriend who I've felt that way about. So…"

Her throat closed tightly and she couldn't meet his eyes, wondering if he saw her differently now. Did he think less of her? Was she a slut to him? Had she fallen so far in his eyes? "I'm sorry," she exhaled before lifting her gaze to meet his.

So much flew through his mind, so many thoughts and feelings and things he'd never considered. But at the end of the day, this was the person who he was interested in and wanted to be with. The only Katherine he could judge was the woman who came to Angel Grove well over a year ago. Of that woman, he'd seen nothing unworthy… nothing that made her a bad person. She was human, flawed like everyone else. "Wow, that's… it's a lot to take in."

Though tears threatened her eyes, they did not fall. Katherine just hoped she hadn't lost him before she truly had him. "I just wanted to be honest with you. I don't condone cheating and I'm so ashamed that I did it. But I learned my lesson and won't ever do it again. I'm not that person anymore."

"I believe you, Katherine. More than that, I believe _in_ you." He nodded, "Nothing that you just told me has changed my opinion of you that you're a wonderful, talented, smart, beautiful young woman with a great accent and questionable taste in best friends."

She laughed, shaking her head, but seemed _oh_ so relieved.

"You didn't have to tell me anything about what happened with Tommy or Joseph. You could have kept it all to yourself. But you wanted to be honest and open and I can't tell you how much that means to me. You have so much class and I do love that about you."

Gently biting her lip, she flirted, "So you love me?"

All that Adam could do was smile.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brush with death leads to some deep soul-searching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Ships (so far)** : Jason/Trini, Adam/Kat  
>  **A/N: psyco_chick32** – Edmund Hillary once said, "It is not the mountain that we counter, but ourselves." That said, this chapter probably demonstrates that I've been playing too much Skyrim.  
>  **A/N: Shawn30** – "…it won't die, what's between us. Do what you will. Ignore it. Neglect it. Starve it. It's stronger than both of us together." –Author Unknown

* * *

**Command Center  
Saturday, November: Week 4  
10:15 a.m.**

A riot of color streaked into the Command Center at once as each Ranger responded to Alpha's frantic summons. Rocky was the first to step forward, glancing around and noticing that two people were missing. "Where's Tommy? And Kat?"

Zordon looked as serious as they'd ever seen him. " **Tommy fell ill a short while ago while with Katherine. We are running tests to determine the cause, but I am afraid it appears he has been poisoned.** "

"What?" Kim demanded. "How? Where?"

As Kim asked, the doors behind them opened with a hiss. Katherine strode through, looking disheveled and distraught. Her pale face was tear-streaked and she wore only loose shorts and what appeared to be Tommy's shirt, tied over a pink sports bra. "I don't know what happened! He was fine… w-we were working out." She gulped back tears and went on, "He was showing me a kata and got some water for a drink and he just… just…"

Adam stepped over to her and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. "It's okay, Katherine. Just breathe for a moment."

She nodded. After a few deep breaths, she continued. "I turned my back to keep working, and he just _collapsed_ when I wasn't looking!" She leaned into her boyfriend. "I couldn't figure out what to do… he was shaking and I was going to call 9-1-1 but…"

Jason put a firm hand on her shoulder. "You did the right thing. If it's not Ranger-related, we can still take care of it here. But given how quickly it happened, and the way Zedd's been gunning for him, it was smart to contact Zordon." His lips thinned as he recalled that everything Zedd had done in the past few months; maybe it would have been better for Tommy to have killed him. It was a dark thought for the original Red Ranger – they did not kill, and he had believed in and supported Tommy's decision. But the further Zedd went, the more he wondered when it would end, or how.

As if it were a cue, the alarms began to wail. Since Alpha was still with Tommy, Billy hurried to the controls. "It's-" His voice hardened. "Zedd's hailing us."

" **Put him on the Viewing Globe,"** Zordon ordered.

Lord Zedd cackled as his red visage filled the screen. Aisha shuddered as she recalled the last time he'd contacted them directly; he'd taken Kimberly hostage in order to blackmail them into operating the ShogunZords for him. Billy, Adam and Rocky all frowned, remembering the same time and fighting against a similar wave of helplessness.

They hadn't failed Kim then, and they wouldn't fail Tommy now.

"What do you want, Zedd?" Jason took their fallen leader's place, aggressively questioning their foe. "And what have you done to Tommy?"

"Your dear White Ranger is going to die." If Zedd weren't wearing a mask, he'd be grinning wickedly; they could hear it in his voice. "As I'm sure Zordon will explain to you shortly, there is only one antidote to the poison currently in his system. Getting your hands on it will be… _difficult_."

Kim snorted. Everything involving Zedd was "difficult." The monster positively thrived on fucking with people's minds, so why would this be any different? It was only then she realized she was trembling. The idea of Tommy lying in the infirmary, dying, scared the hell out of her. What if he-

Another console let out a sequence of beeps; Trini turned to it and began examining the monitor. "The results of the scan are in the system now," she reported. "It doesn't look good… Zordon?"

Zordon appeared to be skimming through the information, his face growing livid. It was rare to see their normally unflappable mentor so emotional. " **You have violated no less than seven intergalactic laws by administering this poison,"** he declared angrily. " **Rangers, the antidote is located-"**

"In an alternate dimension," Zedd interrupted. "But do not think it is that easy. I have taken precautions." A roll of paper appeared in his hand in a burst of flame. "The Tomb of Aiza has recently come into my possession, you see. It – and everything inside, including the antidote – is mine to do with what I wish. I'm willing to part with the bottle… provided you send one of my favorite Rangers after it."

Kim shuddered, knowing without a doubt who he meant by 'favorite.' She'd never told a soul – not even Tommy, Trini or Aisha – the disgusting things Zedd has said to her when she was lucid while trapped in his Dark Dimension. She doubted Kat had heard, either, even though she was working for the enemy at the time.

He confirmed her fears a moment later. "Your Pink Ranger is the only one I will teleport there."

"Kim?" Jason asked, turning to her. He wore a slightly wary look on his face, and she couldn't tell if it was because he doubted she'd go, or because he doubted Zedd would honestly give so easily. She agreed with the latter sentiment. There was no way this was as straightforward as it seemed.

She shoved her fear away, allowing herself to thrive on the very idea that Jason would doubt her determination. "Of course I'll go! I'm not going to just let him die!" she snapped. It was never an option; she wouldn't ever willingly let _anybody_ die, much less Tommy. No matter what he'd done to her… not when Trini flicked the Viewing Globe from Zedd's gloating to the monitor in the infirmary, where Tommy lay sweating and gasping, looking like all the blood had been leeched from his body.

Though he was no longer visible, Zedd's voice rang out, "I do believe you are stalling… and if you don't take this chance, I'll withdraw my proposal and seal the tomb away for good. I hope Jason is prepared to yet again take his friend's powers… unless you accept, Kimberly?"

To be frank, Kim wanted nothing to do with any 'proposal' Lord Zedd could put forth. But there was a life on the line - _Tommy's_ life on the line - and this was no time to be flip about semantics. This suggestion of Zedd's had _**DANGER: THIS IS A TRAP**_ written all over it. But what else could she do?

"I accept," she stated, refusing to meet anybody's eyes. She didn't want any of them to know how terrified she was.

"Excellent." His oily voice seemed to echo in the chamber, tinged with pleasure.

A couple of the Rangers sighed softly, apparently relieved, and Kim bristled a bit at the insinuation that she might have chosen not to help him. They didn't even know the one reason she'd be hesitant to go. "Let's do this. It's Morphin-"

"A couple things first, dear Kimberly," the Evil Emperor broke in again.

Kim leveled a stern glare at Billy, who hadn't cut the feeds. He shrugged, mouthing, ' _He has to send you.'_

"What?" She wanted this done and over with. "Tommy is dying; I don't have time for this!"

"Tsk, tsk. Don't be rude. You have a couple rules. No morphing. No use of your communicator. You will be sent back to the Command Center after your task is complete. Until then, you're mine."

More things she didn't like the sound of but couldn't argue. "Fine, can I get going?" She ignored Adam's anxious look, and the way Jason seemed torn between shoving her out the door and grabbing her to never let her go. Then, her body was enveloped in a dark, blood-red power…

And she was gone.

* * *

**The Tomb of Aiza  
Time Unknown**

Kimberly landed unceremoniously in a heap on a cold, stone floor. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the single source of light in the room: a flickering torch above her head. A small amount of light streamed in under the one door, but it was nowhere near enough to let her check her surroundings.

She stood and pried the torch from the wall, gazing around slowly. The room was dusty and smelled fusty; rubbish littered the floor and broken shelves lined the walls.

She'd just kicked a small sack, intrigued by the metal clanging from inside, when bright white light blinded her, wrapping around her body and seemingly seeping into her head.

' _What the fuck?'_

' _Such language, Pink Ranger!'_ Kim recoiled as Zedd's voice resounded in her skull.

Her eyes throbbed with the weight of the light, and it occurred to her that it must have somehow connected her to him mentally. The very thought made her want to take a hot shower and scrub her skull clean. _'Is this what Tommy talked about?'_

' _I didn't think he would have told you about that.'_

' _Get out of my head!'_

Zedd ignored her. ' _Did he tell you of what he saw? How he saw you and Adam in a lover's embrace?'_

Kim's lip lifted in a disgusted grimace. Adam was cute, but more like a brother to her than any other guy she knew; hell, more than her own flesh-and-blood brother, now. So gross.

There was no response to that, and so as her eyes grew accustomed to the light again, she continued her search again, looking for something she could use as a weapon. A couple daggers… a bow – no arrows, of course, because that would be easy – and a hand axe. _'Goodie.'_ A whole lot of good these things were going to do her. She grabbed them anyway, tucking the daggers into her belt and hoping she wouldn't fall and stab herself. She grabbed the bow in one hand and the axe in the other, wishing for some sort of bag, and warily opened the door.

She was immediately overwhelmed; somehow, the heavy wooden door had filtered out the musty air, laced with the stench of something foul. Sounds of water dripping, something skittering on the floor or walls echoed eerily. She couldn't figure out where it came from and her knuckles tightened around the handle of her axe. Then a low howl, wind or animal she wasn't sure, raised the hairs on the back of her neck. ' _Oh, God, what kind of place is this?'_

Suppressing a shiver – cold, she told herself, not fear – she began creeping forward. She was _not_ going to linger here when Tommy was dying without her in the Command Center.

' _He has Katherine,'_ Zedd seemed to enjoy telling her. _'After all, was she not dressed in his shirt when you arrived? How often do friends wear each other's clothing?'_

Kim forced herself to ignore him by trying to discern where the skittering sound was coming from… it was getting louder. She gazed around a corner-

And came nearly face-to-face with a giant fucking spider.

She screamed and backpedaled, slipping in something spilled on the floor. It hissed and spat something at her; she barely dodged it and in doing so, dropped her torch.

The liquid in the hallway went up in flame the moment the stick hit the ground, engulfing the spider and quickly reducing it to a charred corpse. Kim heaved at the smell, backed herself against the wall, and whimpered as the fire began to die down, leaving her in near darkness.

She'd fought a lot of things in her time as a Ranger: snakes, spiders, even a weird clown-turned-plant thing. Giant pigs and toads… but nothing as creepy and horrifying as the spider she'd just seen, and those eight eyes would haunt her nightmares for months, she was sure. A lantern shone dimly at the end of the hall, but it took a few minutes for her to regroup. In the end, it was the haunting image of Tommy shuddering on the infirmary bed that moved her.

Kim pressed herself up tightly against the wall to get past the burnt remains of the humongous bug. "Thank God I'm not Zack," she joked to herself quietly. She knew it was dumb to speak aloud and draw attention to herself, but she had to say something or she'd go insane. Questioning every sound wouldn't get her anywhere.

Just steps ahead, a half-eaten corpse lay sprawled in what appeared to be smeared, dry blood. "Ewwww. Tommy Oliver, you had better appreciate this." She almost missed seeing the one thing she really wanted: a quiver of arrows!

"Oh, thank God!" She snagged them, ignoring the blood stains on the bottom of the leather quiver. For all the guys had taught her hand-to-hand combat, she preferred to attack from a distance… especially if her prey was going to be giant spiders or moaning things that should have died forever ago. She hooked it over her shoulder, held her bow with a surer grip, and kept moving.

She turned another corner, staring down the hall at a well-lit room. In it, a decomposing human-like creature shuffled. Biting back the ingrained temptation to scream, Kimberly crouched and very slowly crept forward, an arrow nocked and ready to fire. Five more steps… three more… she ducked behind the remains of a fallen wall when it stopped to look down toward her. She let out a breath when it resumed its pacing; she leaned over the wall, aimed…

And managed to shoot it right in the neck. Two arrows followed – not as quickly as her Power Bow, since she actually had to ready the weapon rather than simply summon the arrows – and the zombie lay dead.

Kim let out a full-body sigh, and then straightened her shoulders.

She _could_ do this. "Hang on, Tommy. I won't let you down."

* * *

"How freakin' huge is this crypt? Who needs a tomb like this?" Kim muttered, stepping carefully over the remains of the skeleton she had just dismantled. They were harder to kill than the spiders, if only slightly less gross, and she needed to use her axe on them; arrows just weren't cutting it. "And who in the world hides important stuff like this in a grave? Really? The _only_ antidote to a poison, in the middle of a goddamned crypt in the middle of a freakin' other dimension, filled with traps and dead things? What if somebody important needed it really fast? Is there some back door you haven't told me about, Zedd?"

Kim wasn't sure how long she'd been inside the tomb; she had no way to tell the time, or judge how long until Tommy-

_'No_ ,' she insisted to herself for the millionth time. _'You are not going to let Tommy die.'_

Still, she'd stopped hearing from Zedd right about the time she'd forced herself to just force her way through the monsters and corpses, no ifs and or buts about it, and that of all things had her worried. There was no way the Emperor of Evil was just going to let her go on her merry way, retrieve the antidote and zip out of there.

A groaning from behind her was a cue to move forward a bit faster; she'd snuck past a room of the zombie things and somehow managed to avoid getting their attention… but she couldn't avoid that last encounter with the skeletons, and they'd made a lot of noise.

Reaching the other end of the room, she nocked an arrow, and in a move finally perfected, swung the door open and readied to fire… and almost shot Kat in her pretty blonde head.

"Whoa, crap! Don't just appear like that!" She quickly shut the door, struggling a bit with the wooden bar. It was only once she was sure that the way behind her was safe that it occurred to her… "Wait. How did you get in here? I thought you couldn't come. And how did you get ahead of me? You look so… you know, _not_ like you've been fighting all sorts of gross things for the past however long I've been here." She motioned to her shredded jeans and stained-beyond-salvaging shirt. It had been a favorite, too. "What's going on?" She gasped as a possibility ran through her mind. "Is Tommy…?"

Kat smirked, arms crossed. "You really thought we were going to put his life in _your_ hands? Puh-lease. We're not that stupid." Kim blinked, not just a little speechless and hurt on top of how confused she was by the very fact that Kat was there.

Kat took the opportunity to continue. "We've decided that I'll continue on from here. It's taking you forever. Tommy could die at any minute and it would be all your fault. No wonder everybody thinks you'd just let him die… it's what you're doing right now."

The Pink Ranger was taken aback, but gave as good as she was getting. "Excuse me? Who the fuck do you think you are? I have been fighting tooth and nail down this freaky place like I'm Indiana Jones, and here you are looking like you stepped out of a Nordstrom's ad. I've clearly got this covered."

"I can replace you at any time," Kat explained. "Even Zedd agrees. So when Tommy took a turn for the worse, and we realized you were just fooling around, the Rangers took a vote. I'm going to be the Pink Ranger from now on."

Kim shook her head. "You're not Kat. The real Kat wouldn't leave Tommy's side… not with the way she was acting before I left." Something that still was tearing up her inside, something she'd examine later when she wasn't half thinking about surviving and half panicking at Tommy's imminent demise if she failed. "And the real Kat has told me many, many times that she's not replacing me."

The blonde snorted. "Yeah. Right. See, this is why it was so easy for Tommy to dupe you. You're willfully blind to what's going on right in front of your face. You see it, but refuse to believe it."

Okay, _that_ struck a nerve. She'd seen Tommy's interest in Kat when she'd first moved to Angel Grove. And the way Tommy and Kat interacted now… well, they acted all nice and innocent but Kim assumed from a few things Tommy did that there was something more, at least for a little while. She couldn't put her finger on what, but she knew Tommy.

But Kat was dating Adam. She'd helped set it up, and Kat would never hurt the Black Ranger. Even more, she _knew_ Tommy. If he wanted something, he would go for it. She told Kat as much. "If you were replacing me with Tommy, he would be more expressive to you. Maybe he has been looking at you kind of weirdly but that's none of my business. The only thing that matters is that I get that antidote back to the Command Center. And some poser-Kat isn't going to stop me." She looked around at the empty room. "You hear that, Zedd? I'm not convinced, so give it up."

Kat's eyes flashed a dark pink. "You won't be able to save him. No matter if you get to the end of not, your mission is going to fail and he will die. What you're doing now is worthless."

"It's never worthless to save a life."

The fake Katherine disappeared in a puff of pink smoke at that moment.

Kim lowered herself to weak knees, hands trembling. The confrontation hit a little too close to home for her comfort… despite some things being patently untrue, the comments about her being replaced terrified her. And Kat's close relationship with Tommy… ' _Why do I still feel this way after what he did? He cheated, lied, and then has the audacity to say he doesn't believe me when I apologize for being mean. Why can't I let him go?'_

She already knew the answer, but Zedd put in his own two cents with a cruel cackle. ' _It's as she said: you're consciously blind. You refuse to see that he's beyond you now. You cling to illusions of the past, childish as your friends outstrip you in maturity.'_

"What do you know?" she shouted loudly, wincing as her voice had to have carried and drawn more enemies her way. "You're not human and you never will be. Maybe he has moved on, and maybe I _do_ just need to deal. That's something to worry about later, not now. I don't need your words in my ears, so leave me the hell alone!"

His presence faded… and as another low howl and the tell-tale scrape of wood against wood – a coffin opening – came from the other side of the next door, Kim actually missed it for a moment.

She'd never felt so alone.

* * *

Kimberly was limping by the time she managed to barricade herself in a side room. She hated to stall, to waste time, but if she had to sit down before she fell down. The room looked to be a pantry of some sort; cheeses, wines and various fruits tempted, but she had no idea how long they'd been down here. The wine could be poisoned. It could be something _other_ than wine. Even if that's all it was, alcohol on an empty stomach would be stupid.

The thoughts didn't stop her stomach from growling.

A chuckle from her left nearly made her shout; Adam suddenly shimmered into existence next to her. "Hungry, Kim?"

She rubbed her eyes a moment, wondering if all the time she'd spent in the musty catacombs was making her hallucinate.

"I'm real," he sighed, sounding as put-upon as she'd ever heard. "And you're a mess." He strolled over, unwrapping the bandanna from around his head and using it to mop up some blood seeping down her arm. "You're really putting yourself through a lot for him." There was no need to clarify who the 'him' was.

Kim choked on a whimper as he pressed a little too hard on a bruise – the result of a tumble down a few stone steps while trying to shoot and walk backwards at the same time. Not smart. "Yeah, well… I'd do it for anybody." Her protest was weak even to her ears. "I can't just let him die. I'm not that person."

"Told you." And he had, several times: insisting she loved him, whether any of them liked it. Insisting that he probably still cared for her a great deal, again whether or not any of them liked it. And he certainly didn't; that was no secret. He said it more now that he was hanging out with Kat; his girlfriend – Tommy's best friend – was reportedly just waiting for the White Ranger to make his move.

Her stomach grumbled again, and Adam's hand trailed up to brush the skin peeking through the torn shirt. It sent a jolt through her body; he'd _never_ touched her like that. "Poor thing. I'll have some food waiting when you get back."

Kim smiled. "You're always taking care of me."

"Any time." His hand moved up, tickling her side and then brushing against her breast.

"What the hell?" Kim stood, freaked out. He had _never_ \- she would never- They just… "What do you think you're doing?"

Innocent eyes, glimmering with the touch of something more, gazed up at her. "What do you mean?"

"You know what you just did!"

He rose smoothly and quickly invaded her space, trapping her between him and the wall. "Do I?" He mock-sighed. "I suppose you're right. I guess I just can't hide it anymore. Kim, don't you know what you do to me?"

She shoved ineffectually at his shoulders, trying to make some room. Everything that had happened so far was causing a tangle of confusion and emotions she couldn't sort out – didn't have time to even if she could. Still, this was the weirdest thing yet. Adam had never, ever, _not even a little_ shown interest in her. It just wasn't the way their relationship was.

"Come on… don't fight it, Kimberly." His hand trailed up to cup her cheek, wiping away a smudge of blood. He tilted his head and pressed his lips to her forehead; while purely a platonic move in the past, there was something about it this time that sent a shudder up her spine. "Who knows you better than me?"

' _Nobody,'_ she hated to admit, and chose not to tackle that particular issue. "Adam, you need to stop."

"Kat doesn't need to know."

With that, the puzzle pieces slotted neatly into place. Katherine. The apparition from earlier. Zedd's mind games. "I knew you'd screw up some way, Zedd."

Adam's eyes went black and he frowned. "Excuse me?"

"Stop acting. You're not Adam any more than you were Kat, and that's where you messed up." When he didn't respond, she grew bolder. "Adam's like my brother, and he'd never come on to me like that. He wasn't even bold enough to do that with his own girlfriend. More importantly, Adam would _never_ cheat on Katherine. He hates cheaters."

With a scowl, the not-Adam went up in black smoke, making Kimberly cough.

' _You think you're so smart, Pink Ranger… but you were nearly fooled.'_

Kim straightened, shoulders back defiantly despite the fact that she was alone in the room. She knew that somehow, Zedd was watching. "Nearly doesn't count. You've nearly taken over Earth a few times, but you're still getting beaten by a bunch of teenagers. What matters is what really happened."

His chuckle reverberated in her skull. She winced. _'An interesting locale, is it not? There is more to this tomb than meets the eye… and more to what meets your eye than my own machinations. But the clock is ticking, precious Kimberly, and Tommy won't live much longer. Here you are, taking a break when his life rests in your hands.'_

She didn't deign to respond, grabbing her various paraphernalia and, after a cursory listen at the door, slipped out. He was right… but she wasn't going to let him win.

* * *

"Oh, thank God!" Kimberly pushed open the heaviest door yet to see an empty room – a stone dais near the back, with a ruby-colored bottle on it. Still, with her goal within reach, she hesitated.

It was never that easy.

She took measured steps in, eyes darting around in an attempt to stop anything from getting the drop on her. She failed, however, when Goldar was teleported in, landing and swinging in the same movement.

"Shit!" Dropping most of her weaponry, Kim launched herself into a backflip, barely avoiding his sword. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"Lord Zedd sends his regards, Pink Ranger," the golden-armored simian gloated. "Not that you'll be able to bring them to the other pesky Rangers. You die here!"

"Just try me!" She sounded cocky, but inside she was panicking. She rarely took on Goldar one-on-one. He'd always had a bone to pick with Jason and Tommy, focusing solely on them. Still, bruised and battered, she knew she could hold her own… as long as nothing else came to interfere.

Kim ducked another one of Goldar's swings, coming up with her hand axe. The weight added to her counterattack; she went for the shoulder, where his armor was thinner on the joints. Swing, parry, step forward – she invaded his space and made it all the more difficult for him to wield his broadsword. She took a painful fist to her neck and fell to the ground, gasping painfully. Still, Jason's voice muttered in her memory, making her get up and moving again through the pain. Adrenaline would help for now; the Power would help later.

' _If you can get around Goldar and your hands on the bottle, I will teleport you back,'_ Lord Zedd offered almost cheerfully in her head. In a distant part of her mind, she noted that it was strange for him to sound so happy about her nearly thwarting his plan.

She just wanted out.

Her thoughts were cut off by Goldar's wing knocking her back to the ground. She landed next to her bow and, in a move nearly instinctual after all she'd gone through, she flailed for an arrow and took a knee. In seconds it was airborne, another right behind in. He was able to bat the first out of the way, but the second embedded itself in a leg.

His bellow of pain was the distraction she needed. She launched herself into a series of flips, around and past him. She pulled out of the tumble pass and set off in a dead run for the bottle.

Unfortunately, she didn't notice the oil near the dais and nearly slipped to the floor, barely managing to grab onto and hold the container. The slight bobbling caused a bit of liquid to splash onto her skin, where it burned on contact. The lip had a crack…

That didn't matter. "I did it, Zedd. Send me back!"

' _You think you've won… hold onto that illusion, Pink Ranger.'_ The voice remained annoyingly pleased. _'You will not succeed. Even in victory, the Rangers will fall… beginning with your White Ranger. Make peace with your failure, disguised as it is.'_

* * *

"Oof!" Kim dropped into a heap on the cold floor of the Command Center.

"You're back!" Aisha was the first to reach her, pulled Kimberly up and into a hug. "Good job…"

Billy's concern was torn between her and Tommy. "I shall attend your injuries once I administer the medication," he promised, lightly pressing a finger to the bruise on her temple and making her wince.

In the midst of her friends grouping around her, she somehow retained the presence of mind to keep her hold on the crystal bottle; as she was pulled into another hug, the antidote again sloshed over the broken lip. Like before, it felt like it was eating away at her flesh. With that, Zedd's words popped back into her head.

_'You will not succeed. Even in victory, the Rangers will fall... beginning with your White Ranger.'_ His gloating voice seemed to echo and, as her friends rushed over, something clicked into place.

Jason tried to tug the container from her hand. A frown furrowed his brows as she clutched it tighter. "Kim-"

"Wait a second." She was breathless was understanding dawned. "Wait… no, Jase, this is wrong. We can't give him this." But what if she was wrong? Tommy's life… but if she was right, and she was pretty sure she was, then this would be the worst thing for him. Maybe Billy could-

"Kimberly, he's dying!" Katherine's voice quavered, tears threatening again. "You have to hurry!" It was clear the blonde had no idea what she was thinking, and she wasn't the only one.

"No!" Kim shook her head, then bit back a groan as her temple pounded. How to make them understand when she wasn't entirely positive herself? "Guys, think about it… why would Zedd help us after being the one to poison Tommy in the first place?"

"What?" Rocky asked, tilting his head. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Exactly! It's way too weird. And he said something about how we would lose even in victory, or something like that…" Again she refused to relinquish the bottle, this time to Billy. "I don't think we can give it to him… unless you want to check it first, Billy, but-"

Jason broke in. "Kim, you can't bet on his life like that. You look like you've been through hell. It couldn't have been easy to get the antidote."

"It wasn't." Kim felt like her head was swimming as she continued to shake it. "It sucked, and there were zombies and spiders and-"

"Can we talk about this _after_ helping Tommy?" Kat interrupted, finally breaking away from her vigil at Tommy's side. "Look at him!"

Kim did, biting her lip as his chest heaved, sweat beading on his pale skin. "Yeah, but not with this. Can't you trust me when-" She was overwhelmed as arguments began to break out at her continued reluctance.

To her surprise, Zack was the one to accompany Aisha to her side. "Hey!" He cut through the chatter angrily. "What the hell is wrong with you guys? Kim's not going to just-"

"She _always_ does this!" Eyes widened as Kat stalked toward the Pink Ranger, a vicious snarl distorting her face. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she pointed accusingly. "He has been lying here, calling out for _you_. He's been waiting for _you_ to come and save him. I've been promising him that you could pull through for him, no matter what. And here you are, refusing to hand it over." She was shaking with anger and stress, never having been in a situation like this before. "You arrogant _bitch_! Who do you think you are? Zordon says he'll die without it!"

Kim all reeled back under the onslaught but refused to back down… and refused to let Katherine's attack distract from the issues at hand. "Look at my hand, Kat," she said with a calm she didn't feel. She could still hear Tommy's choked breathing, and her palm trembled as she held it out for all to see. "See how it's burned? That's not from the fire in the tomb… that's where this stuff has spilled on me. Do you really want to force that down his throat?"

"If it's what Zordon says-"

"Then have Billy analyze it first."

"We don't have time for that! Stop holding out on him!"

"Katherine, you need to stop arguing and think rather than react." She was one to talk. "My gut tells me that this is a really bad idea."

Adam's arms wrapped around Katherine and stopped her from responding. She leaned into him as he stared at Kim stoically, supporting her silently.

Jason crossed his arms. The leader in him trusted Kim; the part of him that was Tommy's bro bristled at the very small possibility that Kimberly could be holding out on saving him. But… that's not the way Kim was. Kim wouldn't willingly let somebody die, no matter who they were. Still… "You're sure?"

Kim was surprised when Zack was the one who spoke up, cutting off an angry Aisha. "Jase, you know Kim better than that. She isn't dumb, bro… and I don't think she'd go through everything just to come back and let him die."

Tommy coughed, a wet, hacking noise that echoed in the chamber.

Aisha rubbed her back as Kim began to tremble. She was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. "I gotta back him up. My girl isn't like that."

"Zedd said some really weird stuff. Billy, will you analyze it?" This time, she handed the bottle to the Blue Ranger, who looked at her with serious eyes before nodding and taking it over to the machine.

Fire flashed in Kat's eyes. "You'd better hope you're right. If something happens to him…" Threats laced her tone, though she never verbalized them.

"Kat, I'm would _never-_ "

She wasn't able to finish. Instead, the erratic beep tracking Tommy's heartbeat broke into a long, low tone. He was flat-lining.

"No!" Katherine rushed back, Billy just a step ahead of her as he left the equipment on the bench. She clutched Tommy's hand as the Blue Ranger began administering emergency aid, trying to bring Tommy back.

Kim sunk to her knees as it failed each time. It was unreal. She barely noticed Zack's arms around her as she stared unflinchingly.

_'Oh my God. He's dead. I killed him. Oh my God. Oh, God… No, please no…'_

Katherine was sobbing into Adam's shoulder. Jason held Trini, a slightly accusing look in his eyes as they traveled over to where Kim sat.

She never noticed; Kim couldn't take her eyes off of Tommy's body.

A full minute passed… then two. A silence hung… nobody knew how to react. There were sobs, and tears, and Katherine's pleas for Tommy to wake up. Kim remained quiet, unflinching… in shock.

Then, the heart monitor began beeping again, slowly but steadily. Tommy let out a strangled gasp, beginning to shake.

"Tommy?" Katherine wrenched herself from Adam's grasp, all but throwing herself onto the bed. "Tommy? Can you hear me?"

Kim couldn't hear his mumbled response as she finally broke down. This last twist in her already overwhelming day left her reeling; she didn't know how to handle it anymore.

Zack's arms stayed around her, just letting her cry. "Shhh... it's okay. I got ya. Things are gonna be okay now." His gaze followed Jason as he came closer and put a hand on her shoulder, his strong grip saying more than he knew what to put into words.

On the opposite side of the room, Katherine was babbling everything that had happened to a groggy and incredibly confused Tommy. From the moment he collapsed to how Kim had gone into Zedd's dimension to how he'd died…

Tommy blinked slowly, still trying to fight the haziness in his mind. "Kat… slow down." He swallowed, his throat dry. "I died?"

Kat lay against him for a moment in the closest approximation to a hug possible with him lying down. "Yeah. For a few minutes, at least."

"But I'm alive now." For some reason, his brain wasn't quite catching up to speed with the fact that he'd died and yet was not dead anymore.

"Kim saved you," she repeated. "It was amazing. She went through a big tomb and fought zombies and stuff. She's so battered and looks so tired. When she came back, she apparently had a feeling it was all wrong and wouldn't give you what we thought was the antidote. Then you died and… but she was right. You're alive." She sniffled and managed a watery chuckle. "You know, I think you're going to have to at least forgive her for what she said on the roof."

He blinked, and then slowly nodded. "Yeah… you're probably right." He was still flabbergasted by the whole experience, and exhausted on top of that. "Do you think she'll-"

"Kim?" Kat's voice sounded suddenly contrite, and Tommy managed to spare a moment of thought to wonder why as she continued, "Tommy wants to talk to you for a moment."

Tommy turned his head toward where he heard Kim and Zack talking. A few seconds later, she limped into view. He'd never seen her as such a mess; her hair was missing a huge chunk on one side and the rest was tangled in ways that would probably take hours to fix. Her face was grimy, with tear tracks clear through the dirt and… was that blood? Her clothes were shredded, dirtier than the rest of her, and scorched in some places. Tucked in her pants was a hand-axe; old-fashioned and bloody.

Damn, she looked beautiful, even like that.

Kat rose and let Kim have her seat. "Here, sit down… and Kim, I'm so, so sorry that I-"

Kim tiredly waved her hand, cutting Kat off. "It's fine. You didn't say anything that wasn't true."

"No! It's not-"

"Don't worry about it."

"Can we at least talk about it later?" Kat hovered anxiously, and Tommy was still left confused as to what Kat was apologizing for.

Kim sighed and nodded. "Later, yeah." She let out a dry chuckle. "Maybe once I've slept and gotten a shower and stuff, k?"

Kat nodded and, squeezing Tommy's hand, turned to Adam.

Tommy's gaze hadn't left Kim's face; she looked immensely tired and stressed. "Hey… thanks."

Rather than smile back at him or play it off, like he had expected, Kim started crying. "I'm so sorry, Tommy; I didn't mean to-"

Wait, what? "What?"

"I killed you!" Kim all but wailed softly. "I knew it was wrong but I didn't think that you would die!"

That didn't mesh at all with what Kat had said. "But… Kat said you saved me?" He was too tired and confused to be tactful or attempt to be suave.

Kim sniffled. "Well, I went to get the antidote, but it wasn't an antidote because Zedd's a lying bastard. But I didn't know for sure but I thought… so I didn't let them give it to you. And then you died!"

Tommy managed to snag her hand, tugging on it lightly to get her attention. "I got better, though, see?"

"But I killed you!"

Tommy sighed. When Kim had a point she could prove, she'd cling to it like a terrier to prey. The best he could do was try to change the subject to more worrying matters before he fell asleep again. "Are you bleeding?"

Kim touched her hand to her temple; only a couple spots of blood stuck to her fingers. "Not so much anymore."

"What happened?"

"I thought Kat told you…" Kim looked almost as confused as he was.

"She said something about poison and then a tomb that only you could go to. And something about zombies, I think?" He was enthralled by that part.

Kim shrugged and leaned forward, laying her head on her crossed arms on the side of his bed. "Zedd would only let me go. So I went."

"You look… well, like you went through hell." He winced as he said it - it was far from a compliment - but Kim shrugged again.

"I wasn't exactly an exotic destination."

"Kat said something about zombies?" he pushed again. The idea was too cool.

Kim made a face at that, sitting up to tug the axe out of her pants. "And skeletons. And giant spiders. Really creepy place, actually." She eyed the weapon for a moment. "You can have this, if you want… I know you collect weapons, and I mean, I don't know anything about it. I just grabbed it off the ground but you could clean it up and-" She was babbling, partly from exhaustion and partly because she wasn't sure what else to do.

"Kim… Kim, that's really great of you. The only backstory it needs is that you used it to save my life." He put as much love and respect and appreciation as possible into those last three words, stubbornly forcing his eyes to remain open. Juvenile as it was, he had Kim's attention for the first time in weeks. He wasn't about to let some stupid poisoning short-term death experience cut that short.

Kim blushed and shrugged. "You would have done it, too. It's what we do, right?"

She had a point, but this meant so much more to him than a normal Ranger mission. "You held your own against creatures like you were Lara Croft. Or Indiana Jones. That's way cool. Will you tell me more about it?" It was a losing battle against sleep, but he needed every moment he could get…

Billy came up behind Kim at that point. "You were right, Kimberly. That potion was actually the poison we believed Zedd to have administered. From the blood work I just did, it appeared a weaker form was in Tommy's bloodstream; one that his immune system was able to overcome, though I suspect it was furthered along by a spell."

"All that matters is that he's okay now," Kim responded.

"I am," he spoke up, getting another look from her and reveling in it. "But you're not. Billy, can you-?"

"We should clean those wounds, and allow Tommy some rest." Billy tugged Kim to her feet, putting an arm around her shoulders as she swayed alarmingly. "Tommy, one more strong sleep should help you fight the effects, though I'll want you to stay overnight for tests in the morning."

"Alright." Kim almost walked away when he managed to snag her hand and tug it up to his lips, pressing them to her in a thankful kiss. Just her hand, but the only part of her he could reach… "Thank you." He put all the love and appreciation and awe he could into his voice – a lot, considering how much he had for her in that moment. "You saved my life, Kim."

Kim flushed, though it was difficult to see under the dirt and blood. "Anytime, Tommy."

He let himself fall asleep then, vowing that he'd get the full story from her once he was well… and swearing he'd apologize, too.

* * *

**Hillard House  
Saturday, November: Week 4  
10:25 p.m.**

While Adam shut the door behind them, an exhausted Katherine flopped down onto her living room couch. Her eyes closed and her head reclined back as she tried to relax, sighing deeply. She settled against the warmth of him when he joined her, his arm curling around her waist, hugging her close. "What a crazy day," the alternate Ranger declared in a weary tone.

"At least we got a happy ending," Adam replied as he rested against her. But even as she seemed to finally calm down, he felt wired… restless even, for a number of unvoiced reasons. The raw fear etched on his girlfriend's face when she brought Tommy to the Command Center terrified him. But now that Tommy was safe, he couldn't help certain issues picking away at him. The last thing he wanted to do today was start a fight, but he had questions he needed answered. Problem was, he really hated the questions. "You okay?"

Sitting up a bit, Kat gently rubbed her hand over her face, still trembling a bit. "I thought Tommy was going to die today. I really did," she began thoughtfully. "And when Kim wouldn't give Tommy the cure I felt this rush of _rage_ … thank God she didn't listen or I would be blaming myself for Tommy's death right now. I'm… I guess I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it all."

"Kim's pretty good under pressure," Adam noted. "She thought it over and things just didn't add up."

"I was horrible to her. My God; the things I said. I jumped to conclusions and was so mean." Wiping her face of a stray tear, Kat looked to Adam. "I really need to apologize. Should I call her tonight?"

"Tomorrow sounds good. She needs to clean up, rest, and get a good night's sleep." Thought he hated the way some people played games, a part of him wanted to gauge her reaction to what he was about to say. "Plus, I think Tommy and Kim were really catching up before we left. Not sure what that means, but they're all alone." Kat's soft chuckle didn't reveal much. "What?"

"You don't care that they're catching up, dear," she nodded wearing a smile. "You don't have to pretend you're in favor of them getting back together. I know differently."

"Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Are you in favor of them getting back together?"

The question wasn't asked in his usual way, giving her pause. She wasn't sure if she was misreading him or not, but he seemed a bit tense. "If being together makes them both happy, then I am for it… but if they never get back together, I think they'll both be fine. I don't really have a horse in this race. I'm just standing back and letting them find their own way."

Adam gave a nod, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

Katherine sat up facing him, and then reached out and caressed his cheek. "What's on your mind? Really?"

"I'm… I don't know," he sighed. He shook his head, part shy and part something he wasn't used to feeling. "The way you hung over Tommy today… you were so worried and concerned. You were beside yourself. And when we all arrived at the Command Center, you were even wearing his shirt."

He paused, and found Katherine waiting patiently for him to continue. "He means the world to you, doesn't he?"

"Yes," Katherine answered softly as she took Adam's hands in hers. His was a gentle heart; no less than any other, but perhaps in need of a bit more assurance considering current events. She suddenly felt guilty that she hadn't provided this sooner. "Tommy is my best friend, but you are the man I love. There's a huge and meaningful difference between the two. I hope you know that."

"I do, it's just… the way you were holding him today? I just want to make sure you're with me because I'm who you truly want to be with, or if there's some part of you that wants to be with him."

Choosing her words carefully, she was honest as well. "Don't you think I already asked myself those questions before we started dating?" He didn't look sure. "You remember how I told you about what almost happened between Tommy and I? Trust me, that night I thought long and hard about Tommy and I and what was between us long after we talked. I'm as clear now as I was then. I love him dearly as a friend, but no more. I'm not pining for him. I don't wish he felt differently about me. I'm not waiting for him to give up on Kim or for her to tell him he has no chance with her. I'm in a relationship with you because I'm falling in love with you… only you, and you aren't competing with anyone." Bringing his hands to her soft mouth, she pressed a kiss on each. "In my eyes, no one compares to you."

"Thank you." He smiled. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't doubt you. I honestly don't. I guess it's… in a lot of ways you're my first love, so I'm a little possessive and I just really don't want to lose you."

"You won't," she assured him.

"I don't intend to." Bending to her mouth as he smoothly covered her body with his, their lips met in a slow, passionate kiss that washed all thoughts of other couples and people away.

This moment was all about them.

* * *

**Campbell House  
Saturday, November: Week 4  
11:00 p.m.**

"Hey, I'll go in and distract my folks so you can run upstairs," Aisha offered when the two teleported behind the shed in the corner of her yard, eying Kim's mangled clothes with a wrinkled nose. "I don't think we can save them, sorry."

Kim shrugged tiredly. "I'll probably be more upset about this when I'm cleaned up and get some sleep. Right now, I just want a shower." She motioned to the right side of her head, "And to figure out how to make this happen. Looks like I'll need a haircut." She hummed to herself thoughtfully. "Maybe Trini can come over and shape it for now, before I can go to the salon. They'll want to know what happened."

"I'll give her a call while you're in the shower. Gotta do something," Aisha agreed. "Looks all sorts of screwed up right now. I don't think even you can make that mess trendy."

"Thanks," she responded dryly.

Aisha winked before darting inside, hollering to her parents and getting their attention in the kitchen.

Once Kim was sure they were focused on their daughter, Kim darted in with a quick hello and sped up the stairs.

In no time, she was kicking her ruined clothes to the corner of the bathroom. As steam from the shower filled the room, she studied her reflection in the mirror. Her shirt had hidden scrapes on the upper part of her right arm; no doubt she'd gotten them from sliding across the floor while battling some of the zombies. Billy had cleaned up the side of her head, but her wound had continued to ooze a little bit and was trickling down the hairline again. Bruises crisscrossed her lower back in various shades of purples and blues; some were beginning to turn green and yellow as her Ranger powers kicked her healing abilities into overdrive.

Still, she remained strangely detached from everything that had happened. Despite everything she'd seen and done in the course of Ranger duties, it was hard to believe she'd fought through a gross tomb, confronted some of her demons - literally, even - and gambled on a man's life.

_Tommy's_ life.

' _Tommy died.'_ The thought pulled her back to Earth like a sucker-punch, almost enough to make her physically sick. _'I killed him.'_ Okay, it wasn't technically true… now. But for a minute or two, his heart had stopped beating and he wasn't breathing and he wasn't there. But he was alive and breathing now, albeit a little worse for wear…

Having _died_ because she was so damn cocky that she knew what she was doing, because she was so fucking sure that she was onto Zedd's tricks.

She'd almost been wrong.

Almost mechanically, Kim slipped into the shower. The water was nearly scalding and she scrubbed herself nearly raw, as though she could wash away more than the blood and grime of the day. She wished she could clean herself of that heavy weight that slipped over her when Tommy had flat-lined, or the sickening sensation that remained after Kat viciously but honestly speared every single one of her faults into a shish-ka-bob of mistakes and issues.

" _He has been lying here, calling out for_ _you_ _. He's been waiting for_ _you_ _to come and save him. I've been promising him that you could pull through for him, no matter what. And here you are, refusing to hand it over_ _."_

He'd died knowing she failed him, believing she'd never forgive him.

' _Have I forgiven him? Can I?'_ she wondered not for the first, nor the millionth time. He couldn't forgive her for what she did, so how could she forgive him when his actions were so much worse? He did the one thing she'd never thought him capable of: willfully betrayed her while of sound mind and body.

Yet, the thought wasn't as painful as before. Slowly, with time, it was being replaced with a cold, slightly-bitter sense of acceptance. She doubted she'd ever understand it, but no matter why it had happened, it had. She couldn't change the past, couldn't live in the past and couldn't let her past dictate her future.

So… had she forgiven him? _'Not yet.'_ It was hard to loosen her stubborn grasp on her anger. If she forgave Tommy, she had to forgive Jason, who had hurt her almost as badly. Somehow, it felt like forgiving Tommy would be tantamount to disregarding of what he did. She couldn't bring herself to do that.

' _Can I forgive him?'_ She couldn't answer her own question with certainty, though a tiny voice that reminded her that forgiving and forgetting were two different things, and didn't have to go together. On top of that, there was a part of her that ached to teleport back to the Command Center, to make _sure_ that Tommy was okay, to stay nearby. That had to mean something, right?

She was jerked from her thoughts by Aisha pounding on the door, letting her know Trini was there. The contemplation was tucked aside for now.

Maybe one day, she'd have the answers.

* * *

**Oliver House  
Tuesday, December: Week 1  
4:00 p.m.**

Peering out his living room window, Tommy searched the street for any sign of Trini's car. Nothing so far. He yawned before flopping back down on the couch, arms behind his head. Shutting his eyes, he wore a devious smile, very much looking forward to his contribution to the plot at hand.

Trini's birthday was in two weeks and Jason wanted to throw her a surprise birthday party. But he needed her parents and a couple of her close friends help to pull it off. Tommy was charged with getting Trini, a mathematician if there ever was one, to help him with his Algebra while Jason, Trini's parents, Kim, Aisha, and Adam met to plot the conspiracy. Just being involved made him feel good. Whatever they wanted him to do, he would do it with no objections. The old gang was slowly trying to mend fences, and he couldn't be happier about that.

Of course, he'd be happier if things with Kim were improving as well.

To be honest, things weren't bad. The constant sniping had ended, and she didn't seem to hate his presence anymore. There was still a great deal of hurt he found in her beautiful eyes when he was able to capture her gaze, but being around him didn't start any new arguments. There was so much he wanted to say to her, to express, but he had trouble finding the words.

And then she'd saved his life, and that was huge. Beyond huge. He was so proud and jealous of her adventure into the underworld. She battled zombies and huge spiders while traversing deadly caverns and the only thing worse to him that she had to do that at all was that he wasn't with her. More, the cost of his survival was almost her life, a fact that wasn't lost on him. If he'd woken to her death… it was too much to bear, the thought of losing her again in the most final way possible.

Thankfully, Kimberly was as brave and clever as they came, hardly a fool, and it was her keen mind that saved his life when Lord Zedd tried to trick her. If she hadn't trusted herself, he'd be dead right now. He owed his very life to her.

Tommy recalled seeing her when he came around; Kim looked as though she'd been through a war, and yet he still thought she was beautiful. She'd fought zombies for him. _'Actual zombies,'_ he smiled on the couch. Hadn't hesitated to go and risk her life for his and all that after he'd broken her heart and refused to forgive her for what she said on the Command Center rooftop.

What if she died and he never had the chance to apologize to her? He knew he'd never make peace with that, or all the hurt he's caused her. Even after all of that there wasn't a hint of hesitation in her effort to save his life.

Sighing, Tommy sat up and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. She deserved forgiveness for what she said in the heat of the moment, regardless of if she forgave him for a crime ten times worse. He wanted to make things right with her, at least in regards to that, as soon as possible.

Then he could really throw himself into trying to win her back.

He'd thought about it enough. Asked his heart the tough questions, like did he want to win her back so that she forgave him, or was it because he truly missed her love and the way she made him feel? He'd talked to Jason at length, and Katherine about what they thought of his chances.

Was it even worth trying if he had no guarantee of victory?

The answer his heart gave was yes, and it would be the fight of his life.

The time had come for him to fight for her. Enough time had passed since their break-up and he felt it was now or never, as every day it seemed she grew closer to Alex, or was at least ready to try again with someone. He'd been such a selfish, immature fool when he cheated. The lessons of life he learned and was still learning sank in deeply. He had a lot of changing to do, a lot of personal work ahead, and no promise at all that he would win the woman he loved back.

Allowing himself to get lost in thought, Tommy mused about how Kimberly was just so damn charming and fun to be around, something that eased his early transition into the team. Being a natural loner and someone who was used to moving every two years or so, letting anyone get to close wasn't something he did often. With Kim he simply had no choice, falling in love with her so fast he barely had time to get used to it. She bulldozed her way into his heart.

Her kindness, outgoing personality, gorgeous smile, and sexy legs she felt were far too short, but were perfect in his eyes… _'What a fool I was,'_ Tommy bitched at himself. He'd never been happier than when she was at his side. She was also one hell of a kisser, he recalled fondly. He'd wanted her from the moment he saw her and every day since. He desired her and wanted nothing more than to someday make love to her, but she didn't believe that anymore after he cheated. One terrible decision broke her heart and altered how she saw not only him and their relationship, but herself as well.

The latter was crushing, to think he'd damaged how she viewed herself in some way. A woman's self-esteem was always a tricky thing, but that he'd contributed to hers falling over the mistakes he made only mad him hate himself more. He never, ever wanted that. She was an amazing young woman, and he hoped she would one day never doubt that again. If anything, it was him that wasn't worthy of her anymore.

But now he was working on fixing that, hoping to someday again be the man she so believed in.

His recent liaison with Katherine was vastly profound in that it revealed where his true heart still was. Connecting with Katherine on an almost elemental level, she was a dear, best friend and someone he greatly appreciated. But he wasn't in love with her, falling, or worried that he might. He still was deeply in love with Kimberly. That never changed. She was his first love, and the only one he wanted.

So now was the time to come up with a foolproof plan to win her back. Only he didn't have one… and she didn't deserve schemes and stuff like that. He just wanted to make her feel special and explain how much he loved her and missed her and wanted a second chance to prove how wonderful they could be, how much he learned about himself and life and the importance of the respect of the woman you love since everything happened, and how deeply he regretted and was sorry for betraying her.

But to be perfectly honest, at the end of the day, even if she forgave him she may not want to try again. She simply may not be able to see him that way. If that's the case, well, he'd have to live with it.

But he had to try.

The sound of a car pulling up into his drive way shook Tommy out of his inner thoughts. Trini was here. He walked to the front door, opened it, and stepped aside. "Thanks again for the help. I really need it."

He did, but he really didn't and Trini knew that. She was well aware of the birthday party plot her boyfriend was scheming up, but didn't mind playing along. "No problem, really."

It dawned on them both as Tommy shut the door that this was the first time Trini had come here since everything happened. When usually there was some sort of something at Tommy's place at least once a week, now months had passed… it seemed like a lifetime in teen years, dramatic as that sounded.

They moved to the living room couch as Trini regarded Tommy. He pulled his Algebra book out of his book bag on the floor and two notepads, pretending to the best of his limited acting ability that he needed help. He was a C+ Algebra student at best, but far from failing. And truthfully, Billy was the team genius, but he was trying to help do something really nice for her, and she had her own motives for wanting some alone time with him. "So where do we begin?"

"Well, I have a test on chapter 6 this Thursday afternoon. I guess we should start there."

Trini gave a nod, legs crossed as they sat side-by-side on the couch. "I think we can work on that today and make sure you are ready for that test," she noted. "Now what about the other thing?"

Looking up at her, Tommy blinked. "Other thing?"

"When is my birthday party, where, and how shocked do I need to pretend to be?"

Tommy didn't dare make a move, quickly processing a proper response to Trini's direct inquiry. His brain back-flipped and cart-wheeled around a number of possible choices before eventually deciding on, "Uhm…"

"You need help with English too, right?" she laughed, enjoying his deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression. This was the Tommy she dearly missed. There was the warrior, no doubt, and then there was this shy, mildly innocent, very typical young man who didn't always know what to say or how to say it. This was the guy Kimberly fell in love with. "Before you say something and begin digging yourself a hole, save it. I accidentally overheard Rocky and Adam talking about it and am well aware my significant other is planning me a surprise birthday party. I do not in any way intend to ruin his surprise as from what I heard he's working very hard on it, and I love him for it. But I just wanted you to know that I know you don't really need help with Algebra. I had another reason for wanting to talk to you alone."

Tommy chuckled, sitting back; a bit relieved he didn't have to play dumb. Really, it was all that he could do as Trini eyed him oh-so-victoriously. "I'm supposed to keep you occupied for at least 90 minutes. So please tell Jason I was extra lost and dumb today, alright?"

"Scouts' honor," she snickered, her right hand over her heart.

"Okay, I'll bite. So why are you here?" Tommy watched Trini's expression turns serious, so he gave her his full attention.

Trini sighed. "This sucks 'cause I hate to even bring up crap like this, but I wanted to talk to you about the rumors flying around school about you and Kat," she finished in a mild flurry. Tommy only nodded. "I hear dumb gossip and stuff every day, and usually let it fly over my head. But I have seen you and Kat spend a lot of time together. I know you're single and you certainly don't owe me any explanations, but with Kim being my best friend I feel I need to look out for her. And if there is any truth to the rumors, well, I'd like to know from you."

Having heard the rumors as well, Tommy sat up straight, ready to address them; then his and Trini's attention flew to his kitchen back door as it opened and then shut. A moment later, Katherine's voice could be heard. "You had better be half-naked and ready, because I need to work off some tension. Don't go easy on me either. I want it rough."

Shutting his eyes, Tommy groaned under his breath, while Trini looked from him to their new guest. Kat walked in wearing her workout attire of sneakers, black short-shorts and a matching ladies Nike tank-top.

The alternate Pink Ranger clearly wasn't expecting Trini's presence and instantly regretted how what she said must have sounded. Her wince looked particularly painful. Her eyes darted from the first Yellow Ranger to the White, and then back to Trini. "Tommy, I thought we had a workout planned today?"

"You forgot to check your answering machine, kitty," Tommy joked. "I had to 'study for Algebra' today."

Katherine's eyes widened as she instantly recalled and berated herself for forgetting the planning session for Trini's birthday party. "Oh crap, I'm sorry. I'll get out of here so you guys can study."

"It's cool, Kat. I know all about my birthday party. I just really wanted to talk to Tommy about the rumors of you and him being more than just good friends," Trini elaborated, but not in a bitchy accusing way. Her tone was more teasing than anything, but then she noticed when Kat's face fell.

"I heard about those rumors today too. I've talked to Adam about them already." She was annoyed by the gossip; not because she had anything to confess, but denouncing rumors of infidelity only weeks into a new relationship wasn't exactly a good thing.

Turning his attention to Trini, Tommy dove right in. "Katherine has become one of my closest, best friends. I'm not going to lie about that because it's the truth. We spend time together and are very close." He looked her directly in the eyes. "We are not lovers. We're not dating or have gone out on any dates together. We're not talking about dating and we aren't in love with each other."

Katherine nodded, and then added, "I think this started one night when Tommy took me somewhere 'cause I was having a really bad day and needed to get my mind off stuff. I was sad and he was being a really good friend. We had milkshakes and drove bumper cars for an hour, and I think Cari and her gossipy friends saw us. But Tommy and I are just very close friends. I'm dating Adam and I'm very happy."

"So there's no truth whatsoever to those rumors?" Trini asked, looking from one to the other. She caught a ghost of something pass between them. "I just don't want Kim getting hurt." She wasn't going to reveal that she was pretty sure Kim was still in love with Tommy, but she needed to stress how important this was to her. "I just want the truth; no judgment here."

Katherine didn't want to lie, and wanted everything out in the open. "Trini, Tommy and I had a moment where we almost crossed a line, sexually," she admitted. Trini listened quietly. "But we didn't cross the line, and talked about how other factors contributed to it, and it's not something that we really wanted with each other. It hasn't happened before or since, and I am committed to Adam. He knows about this as well. I love Tommy dearly, but only as a friend."

"And I love her too, but I am still in love with Kimberly," Tommy revealed the world's worst kept secret. "I don't really know what to do about the rumors. Sometimes acknowledging them only makes them worse."

Trini never doubted Tommy before he cheated on Kim. She still hated it ever happened, and that she now found herself truly gauging if he were telling the truth or not. She thought the world of Katherine, someone who was at the Campbell household almost daily after Tommy and Kim broke up. No, she didn't think they were lying. "I believe you two, I just had to ask. Sorry if I offended you."

"You didn't," Katherine said. "I don't blame you for asking or looking out for a good friend."

"I certainly gave you a good reason to doubt me when I cheated, so I understand. It's alright," Tommy said to Trini. "I never want to lose your trust again, so rest assured I'm telling you the whole truth."

"I believe you, Tommy." She leaned over and tugged him into a big hug. "So, since you're still in love with Kim what are you going to do about it?"

"Yeah, I'd like to know that one too," Kat added, wearing a smile.

Tommy looked to them both, grinning, and then gave a shrug. "I have a plan… sort of. Don't know if it will work, but it's all I got and I came up with it myself. I'm going to start with a…"


End file.
